The Older Brother
by Violet Wings
Summary: Tea begins to work at an orphanage for community service and is shocked to see Seto Kaiba working there as well. Tea begins to learn about Seto's past and wonders if there's more to the CEO than meets the eye.
1. C1 Community Service

_**Disclaimer/Author's Note: I do not own Yu-gi-oh or anything associated with the show except my stories. There will be language, sexual themes, a little mob activity, and maybe some alcohol use, so you have been warned.**_

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Community Service**

Tea walked into the classroom and to her seat near the center of the class, setting her brown backpack on her desk before taking her seat. She began shuffling through her bag, thinking of what she was going to need today for school, and found her reading book. It would be fifteen minutes before the bell rang, and the guys never came to class before the bell rang. Well, Yugi sometimes did, but that was when he needed to talk to Tea about something. Joey and Tristan had made it an art form to walk in the second the bell rang, which annoyed the teacher, Mrs. Asuka, to no end since she couldn't mark them tardy. Bakura wasn't even in their classes, and Duke was usually at work (he had admitted to coming to school just to promote his store). So that usually left her alone in the morning to read a book or check on homework she might have missed doing the previous night.

After she checked all her homework to make sure it was done, Tea placed it all back in her bag and took out her book, figuring she could catch up a little bit before school began. "_I never get time to read anymore_," she thought as she flipped the book open. "_I'm always doing things for school these days, and now I have to start looking for a job. After all, I have to gain money somehow, and I'm not going to do it reading at home._"

As she began to be enveloped by her story, she began to hear footsteps and looked up to see a pair of blue eyes glare at her before their owner sat down in his seat on the far right side of the classroom. Seto Kaiba, the CEO of KaibaCorp, had just walked into class. Tea watched as he opened his thin laptop up on the desk and began typing away feverishly, as if the world relied on this one paper he was currently typing. Knowing him, the world probably _was_ relying on it. After all, KaibaCorp technology was used worldwide.

"_He continues to amaze me to no end,_" she mused, trying to go back to her book. "_He's so cold toward others, even Yugi and myself, and we've helped him out countless times! I understand if he doesn't trust others, but seriously…he needs to learn how to lighten up a bit._" Tea had taken notice of Seto's habits at school, where he refused to talk to any and all of his fellow students and spent free time either working or reading a large book. He never seemed to just relax and take a break from anything. But with the job as CEO of a multi-billion dollar corporation, Tea had to admit that the word 'break' was probably not in his vocabulary.

"_Oh well, it's not my problem,_" she thought, closing the book shut and leaning back in her seat. "_We've tried accepting him into our group on numerous occasions, and he never wanted to. That's fine with me, as long as he knows he's always allowed to join us._" She chuckled at the thought; it made Yugi's group of friends sound like a cult.

"Hey Tea!" a familiar voice asked, making Tea look up in surprise. Yugi Motou was sitting down in the seat in front of hers, smiling widely at her and waving his hand to say hello. "You're here kind of early, aren't you?"

"Just a little bit," she answered, smiling back at him. Yugi was basically her closest friend in the whole world, and many people always asked her when the two would be going out. And even though she admired Yugi and was friends with him, she wasn't thinking about dating him. She didn't want that with him…she honestly could say she didn't know whether he was straight or gay to begin with. It wasn't to be rude; it was a fact that she didn't know. So obviously dating wasn't on her list of things to do. "You have a lot of nerve, though. You're never here this early unless it's for something important."

"Yeah, well, Grandpa woke me a half hour earlier than normal," Yugi explained. "He was downstairs getting ready to open shop when he knocked over a piece of equipment. Needless to say he wasn't happy at all, and I woke up to hear him screaming at the broken parts on the floor."

"Will he be able to replace it?" Tea asked, not really surprised at Yugi's grandpa's reaction. She knew he was little off the handle at times.

"Oh yeah; he was just angry that it broke so early in the morning. All he did all morning was complain about how 'this was the start to a great day'. I just ignored him."

She chuckled at his comment when she saw a bunch of students beginning to enter the room. It was five minutes before the bell rang, and that was generally when the students began to come to classes. Several girls came in as a group and giggled over in Seto's direction, who seemed completely consumed by his work at this point. Yugi shook his head at the sight and said, "I'm so happy to not have many fan-girls."

"Oh, I'm sure you do somewhere," Tea remarked. "Maybe they just don't go to this school."

Yugi groaned at the thought and said, "I don't want many fan-girls. I like just being Yugi Motou. I don't need websites all about me like him." As he said this, he glanced over at Seto, who had finished typing and was in the process of shutting down his laptop. "I don't need to be stressed out like that all the time."

Tea nodded her head in agreement and went to comment on it when she saw Joey and Tristan enter the classroom. The bell immediately rang as they walked inside, and she hid her smile as the teacher glared at the two. Yugi turned around in his seat, and the duo sat down in their assigned seats. "Good morning, class," Mrs. Asuka stated as she stood up. "I'm glad to see that we're all here on time today. May everyone please take out their homework from last night as I come around to check on it?"

Tea took hers out of her bag and placed it on her desk before opening her book back up. This was basically the only time she got to read anymore, when the teacher was busy checking something or during a free class period, which were very few and far between. As Mrs. Asuka walked around the room, Tea could tell whether or not that particular student did their homework by the way she acted. Nothing meant they did it, nothing and a mark on her paper meant they didn't. She soon went around the class and reached her desk, giving Tea a smile in appreciation for doing the homework before going up the aisle to Yugi, also sending him a smile. It was kind of creepy, really. After all, it was only homework.

Once she was done going around the classroom, Mrs. Asuka sat down at her desk and took out a green clipboard. "Alright class, now there aren't really any new announcements save for assignments coming up. The Venn diagram project is due next Wednesday, and tomorrow's assignment will simply be reading the next chapter of our story, which shouldn't be too difficult. However, it has come to this school administration's attention that not many students seem to volunteer for clubs and community service activities lately. As a response to this, the administration is making all students in the high school perform at least 30 hours worth of community service over the rest of the school year."

Tea could hear groans erupting around the classroom, and it had taken a lot of willpower to hold back her own. She had enough schoolwork as it was, and now she had to do community service? "_So much for getting a job,_" Tea thought bitterly.

"Now, now, it's only thirty hours, and you have all the rest of the year to do so," Mrs. Asuka stated, trying to be reassuring and failing miserably. "I'm to hand out these papers for you to get the person you work for to sign, signifying you have indeed done some community service. Though not all of you are going to receive these…" Picking up her clipboard, she stated, "I have a list here of all the students who have not done any community service this year. Only those students will be receiving these lovely papers right here. As for the rest of you, the administration knows you have or are doing community service and are not requiring you to fill out forms since you have already done so. So, as I call you up one at a time, I want you to come up and retrieve this paper." She began calling out the names in alphabetical order, and Tea sighed in frustration along with several other students.

"_I really don't have time to be doing this,_" she thought, setting her elbow on her desk and placing her head in her hand. "_I have enough going on! This is not going to be fun. Besides, what all is there to do for community service? Where would I find an employer for community service? I'm not going to join a church organization or anything like that; they expect you stay a lot longer than a few hours there._"

"Tea Gardner," she heard Mrs. Asuka call out. She stood and walked up to the desk, grabbing the paper off the pile before returning to her seat. Looking back, she saw all the kids who had been called thus far either reading over their papers or smiling because they didn't have one. She listened to the next couple of names be called out, skimming over the page as she did so, when she heard Yugi's name get called out. She smirked and watched Yugi walk up to the front of the room as she had just done, grab a paper, and turn around to go back to his seat. He rolled his eyes at Tea, indicating how he felt about the assignment, and Tea had to stifle a chuckle. She began looking around the room for the people who didn't have one, expecting there to be only a handful. There weren't that many, but when her eyes landed on Seto Kaiba, she blinked in shock. He didn't have a paper.

"_But…he should have been called up before Yugi…He doesn't do community service, does he? Why would someone like him do community service? He has the company to run. Maybe he just gives money to an organization to make the company look good. A lot of CEO's and business owners tend to do that in order to make their companies look better. Hmm…that's odd._"

"Does everyone who needs one of these papers have one?" the teacher asked. When nobody raised their hand, she smiled and nodded her head. "Okay. As for the others who didn't need one of these, I'm sure you'll continue doing your community projects, and I want to let you know that the administration and the community both appreciate it. Now that that's out of the way, let's actually get to some work."

Work…exactly what Tea wanted to do after being told she had to do community service. Besides, she couldn't look for a job tonight. She was meeting Mai up at the coffee shop. The two always got together several times a week since Mai was now a top model in Domino City and all of Japan and could afford to do such things. Tea felt bad at first but was happy she was keeping her friendship with the blonde. So how was she going to find a community service project with homework and friendship visits? "_Ugh…life sucks,_" she concluded before the lights were turned out, indicating that Mrs. Asuka was going to be going over the homework on the overheard. Sighing, she decided to think about it later and focus on her work. She couldn't afford to get behind in two things, that's for sure. Opening her textbook, she began to follow along with the teacher like the rest of the class.


	2. C2 Creativity

**Chapter 2 – Creativity  
**

"You're being forced to do community service?" Mai repeated slowly, sipping her iced coffee and staring intently at Tea, who nodded her head and sipped her own iced cappuccino.

"Yep," she answered.

"Well, doesn't that sound like fun?" Mai asked sarcastically. "I am so glad to be out of the school system and on my own. You guys are your assignments make my head hurt. Do you have anything in mind for it?"

"Not a damn clue," she answered honestly. "I'm not going to rake or do yard work, I can tell you right now. I have no idea what to do, Mai."

"They did kind of just throw you into doing that," Mai commented. "That's not very fair. You're busy enough as it is, taking a lot of the upper classes at school. Imagine the kids that are into sports and stuff? They're probably dreading this assignment. How long do you have to do it for?"

"We have the rest of the year to accumulate thirty hours," Tea explained.

"Wow…well, you can always be happy they didn't give you fifty hours of work to do."

Tea rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I guess."

"Why don't you check out that newspaper over there?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the magazine stand. Tea turned to see a stack of newspapers in the corner beside the rack. "If you find something interesting, like a babysitting job or something, maybe you can get paid while getting hours in."

"Babysitting isn't community service work," Tea argued but nonetheless stood up and grabbed the top newspaper. Sitting back down on the wooden stool, she opened the newspaper up to the jobs section and began searching through.

"See, I'm so useful sometimes," Mai commented, sipping iced coffee again. "Maybe if you find something really out there, they'll give you bonus points for it."

"Highly doubtful," Tea remarked, skimming over the pages.

"Who else is doing this, anyways?"

"The whole class," Tea answered. "Or at least those who never signed up for community service. Apparently the administration went in to see which kids didn't do community service this year and made a list up. The teacher was assigned to give only the students who didn't do community service this assignment."

"Geez, that sucks!" Mai exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise. "I wouldn't exactly appreciate that."

"Oh, don't worry. Everyone was groaning. Yugi rolled his eyes at me, and I had to hide my laughter. But you'll never guess who _didn't _get one…"

"Who? Joey?"

"Kaiba."

At this, Mai slammed her drink down on the table and leaned forward. "How did _he_ get out of the assignment?!"

"Who knows? I figured he probably gave some organization money, you know, like a contribution thing, and the school considered it community service."

"Yeah, I couldn't picture Seto doing chores for community service. I don't know why, but something about him doing that kind of thing just doesn't add up."

Tea chuckled at her friend's sarcasm and smiled. "That's what I thought. Either he does that or maybe gets his brother to do some. You know, just to make KaibaCorp look good."

"They do that in the modeling world sometimes. If an agency is starting to lose clients, they'll do an add supporting something just to gain the public's interest again. It's cool, though, because they always pick something that the model wants to support, so it all works out well. I know one of my friends is actually—"

"Here!" Tea exclaimed, placing her finger on the newspaper. "I can do this!"

"What, dearie?"

"Work at the nearby orphanage. It says that they're in need of part-time workers, preferably young, and will pay. I can work with kids."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Mai asked, raising her eyebrow and giving Tea a questionable look. "I mean, I've heard a lot about orphanages, and not many of them are positive things. You really think that's what you want to do?"

"It's not yard work, and it's pay," Tea replied. "Besides, it's creative isn't it? I mean, nobody from school would think to work at an orphanage, so I might get points for creativity. Yeah, I don't know why, but I think that's what I want to do."

Mai chuckled and shook her head. "Once you have your mind set on something, you never change it. If that's what you want to do, I guess I'll support you with it."

"What, you want to help out too?"

"Heck no! I didn't say that, girlie! Imagine my model-self being found at an orphanage! That orphanage would get so much publicity they wouldn't know what to do!"

Tea shook her head and closed the newspaper up before placing it back on the pile. Returning to her drink, she sipped down the rest and sighed. "I'll go by soon and see if they are willing to hire me for school. Good thing I brought the paper along. The person in charge may be able to sign it, and I could get started right away. The sooner I get this whole thing out of the way, the quicker I can get my homework done and start looking for a real job."

"Who knows? Maybe if they like you enough at the orphanage, they'll hire you there full-time."

"That is a possibility…"

"Hey, isn't that the point of this assignment? I mean, aren't they forcing you guys to do community service so that you think it's part of your daily lives or something?"

"I guess so. I mean, I understand that it's important and all, but I have enough on my plate. And to put it on me at a time like this…"

"Yeah, I know. You're looking everywhere for a dance school, aren't you?"

"Yep. That _and _the money to go there."

Mai laughed and nodded her head. "That's the good thing about modeling. You don't have to pay to do it. On the contrary, you get paid to do it."

"Same for any job. Modeling just doesn't take that many courses that are required before you become a model."

"Hey, it takes a lot more than you would imagine to model. It's all in the eyes, honey. You have to convey whatever emotion the client wants from you in a split second merely with your eyes. Oh, I love it!"

"Man, the way you put it, maybe _I_ should be a model."

"Um, I think you're better off sticking with dancing."

"What? You think I wouldn't be a good model?"

"I didn't say that. I just said that you should stick to dancing. That's your passion, isn't it? Always go with your gut feeling, honey, otherwise it'll come back to bite you in the ass someday."

"Tip of the week, Mai?"

"Just some useful advice. Now don't you want to head over to that orphanage? Who knows what hours it's open for visitors and soon-to-be-part-time-workers?"

"Good point. I guess I should've written down the directions and address from the newspaper."

"Those generally are effective," Mai remarked as Tea turned back around and grabbed the newspaper. Opening it back up to the page, she quickly wrote down visitor hours (which were luckily within reach today), the address, and looking at the map on the back, figured out the best way to walk there. "You want me to drive you over there?"

"Nah, it's okay. It doesn't look too far away from here. Maybe about a twenty-minute walk, is all."

"Twenty minutes? Girl, I don't know what planet you're from, but a twenty minute walk is a rather long walk."

"I'm used to walking around. I don't drive yet, so I always walk everywhere. I enjoy walking around the city."

"Whatever floats your boat. Well, I gotta be off I'm afraid. The next photoshoot is in a couple of hours, but they want me there early to go over a couple of things."

"What's the photoshoot going to be about today?"

"Oh, I'm so excited! It's a naked shoot where I'm going to be against a tree, kind of blending into the wilderness. Aw, it will be so sexy! I think they're going to make me a faery or something along those lines."

"Hey, isn't it all in the eyes?" Tea mocked, smirking as her friend stuck her tongue out at her. "Well, I should probably be going too. Thanks for inviting me along again."

"You say that every time we go out, and how many days a week do we come here? Three? Four? You don't have to say thank you every time. You're too sweet for your own good."

"Don't you have a naked photoshoot to do?" Tea countered, smiling at her friend as she stood up and grabbed her brown backpack. "Well, I'm off. See you…Thursday?"

"Thursday sounds good, sweetheart. Take care."

"You too." And with that, Tea turned around and walked out of the coffee shop, looked down at her directions, and began walking towards her destination.


	3. C3 Home For Some

**Chapter 3 – Home For Some**

Tea walked onto the orphanage grounds and smiled at all the kids playing outside. They all seemed fairly young, between the ages of 5-10, but surprisingly there weren't that many outside. There were perhaps five boys playing with a ball in the middle courtyard, and a group of three or four girls could be seen playing board games in the sandbox. Walking into the area, she was taken aback by the way the kids all looked at her. She felt very uncomfortable.

"_I hope they all don't think I'm here to adopt anybody_," she thought as the boys slowly went back to playing their game. "_Maybe working here wasn't the best of ideas…well, I'm here now, so I might as well go in and talk to the person in charge._" She walked past the group and into the one-story, long building complex, blinking in surprise at the inside. A woman was sitting in a chair going over what looked like professional paperwork behind a wooden desk. The flooring was blue carpet, and the walls were striped with light green and light blue. There was a large bookshelf on the far wall, a television, two long couches surrounding the television, and a computer. It looked like somebody's home.

"Hello?" the woman asked with a high-pitched voice, getting Tea out of her trance. Tea smiled over at her and walked towards the desk.

"Hi, my name is Tea Gardener," she replied, holding her hand out. The woman shook it and smiled up at her. "I saw your add in the paper for work and was wandering if and when I could start."

"You want to work here?" the woman asked, looking up skeptically at her. The woman looked to be in her late twenties. She wore circular-framed glasses and had long, dark green hair. She was wearing a brown tank top and white capris along with brown sneakers. "How old are you?"

"I'll be eighteen in about a month," Tea answered.

"Here, pull up a chair. I don't want you standing there and hurting your legs." The woman quickly stood up and pulled a wooden chair over to the front of her desk before sitting back down in her own chair. Tea quickly sat down and nodded in appreciation at the woman. "Now, might I ask why you want to work at this orphanage?"

"We have to do a community service project at school," Tea explained reluctantly. She didn't know whether or not this woman would like the idea of Tea working here just for an assignment, but if she was the only one working here, she figured the woman would want all the help she could get. "I saw your add and was wandering if it would qualify."

"Ah yes, I've heard about those. Well, I would gladly have you join our little community here. Let me get out some forms awhile, and we can go over rules and regulations on what you would be doing."

Tea smiled and watched as the woman opened her desk drawer up and pulled a manila folder out. Opening it up, the woman quickly picked up a small packet of papers and handed it over to her. "Are you sure you want to work here, though? I mean, this place is not the best location, especially for one coming from school, and I can tell you right now that your pay will be rather low. Minimum wage, maybe a little higher. Is that alright with you?"

Tea nodded her head, figuring as much by herself, and began to scan the papers. It was all health forms and verification papers. "I will only be working part-time, though, since I'm a student," she stated, looking back up at the woman.

"Understandable. We're short on staff as you can see, but it will be okay. As long as you can come for a couple of hours every day, it should work out. What days can you work and not work for sure, or do you not know your schedule yet?"

"I am free every night and all day Saturday, but Sunday I usually spend with friends or doing activities, so I don't like working on that day."

"That will be fine. Let me write that down on the calendar here. What day do you want to start working?"

"Tomorrow if I get these papers filled out by then."

The woman chuckled. "Eager to get started, eh? That's the spirit we like to see. Oh, do you have anything from your school for this community service assignment?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Tea pulled the paper out of her bag and handed it over to the woman, who placed it on her desk and skimmed it over.

"This will be easy to fill out," she stated. "Well, I'm glad that you chose this place to do your project in. Not many students would think to work in the orphanage as community service. We only have one other student who works here, but he's more a visitor to the kids than a co-worker. But it does say here that you only need thirty hours. Are you planning on working only thirty hours, or will you stay after this assignment is done?"

"_Another student works here_?" Tea thought, surprised at this statement. "I'm honestly not sure. I was thinking about only doing the thirty hours at first, but if I enjoy working here, I may stay longer."

"Okay, well you're going to have to inform me of that decision soon. I can't just hire people who are going to drop off the face of the earth the next day. Understand?"

Tea nodded her head. "Who is the other student that works here? I've never heard any student talk about working at an orphanage."

The woman chuckled again and smiled. "Well, I guess you'll be meeting him if you stick around. He's coming over today in about fifteen minutes or so. Why don't you hang out here? I'll introduce you to the kids, and that way tomorrow won't be so bad."

"Sounds like a plan," Tea replied, smiling at how easy this whole thing had been. She figured it would have taken at least a week to get started on any community service job or project, but she was being hired tomorrow, it seemed. It was kind of a shocker but also a relief.

"Oh, I apologize for my rudeness!" the woman suddenly exclaimed as she stood up. "I didn't even introduce myself! My name is Shiori. Jade Shiori. On behalf of this orphanage, I thank you for taking this job."

Tea laughed at the woman's antics and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Jade Shiori!"

"You'll do fine here," Jade stated as she began to walk outside. "I'm the only real worker here anyways. My father started his orphanage a long time ago, but then I took over and he moved away. So right now it's just me, you, and the other student."

"That's really understaffed," Tea commented, frowning at her statistics. "I mean, how many kids do you have?"

"Only nine, and they're all very good. Most of them have been here for a long time. We just have trouble keeping workers because this place can be very depressing at times. The kids here grow close to each other, and if somebody new shows up or somebody leaves, it causes a big disturbance. Here, let me take you outside and introduce you to them." Tea followed her outside, and all playing once again ceased. Either they knew she was now a worker or thought she was looking for a child. Either way, it made her feel suddenly sad. She was stranger and could be their only salvation at this point. It made her realize that Jade's words rang true.

"Alright kids, we have an announcement to make!" she shouted. All the kids quickly dropped whatever they were doing and ran over, forming a semi-circle around the two. Tea noticed one girl walking slowly up towards the group and sliding into the back, a sad look on her face. "This here is Tea Gardener. She's a student at the nearby school and is going to start working for us. You'll be seeing her in the afternoons and hopefully during Saturdays, is that correct?"

"Yes it is," Tea answered, smiling down at the kids. Smiles began to slowly appear on their faces, and Jade placed her hands on her hips.

"Now is that any way to greet a new worker?" she asked, looking down in feigned shock at them. "Why don't we all say hello and tell Miss Tea here your names?"

"I'm Marcus!" a redhead boy in front exclaimed.

"And I'm Luke!" another boy shouted, this one having blonde hair.

"I'm Harem, and this is my brother Steven," one boy said. He had short black hair and glasses while his brother had long black hair.

"We're Lola and Brethor!" two kids said at the same time. Tea could immediately tell they were twins; both had brown hair and green eyes.

"I'm Lacy, and this is my best friend Caterina!" one girl giggled, wrapping an arm around her friend. The Lacy girl had blonde hair pulled back into pigtails while the Caterina girl had short, orange hair.

Silence soon followed, and Jade frowned at the girl in the back. "You all may go play," she said after a minute passed. Tea blinked in shock at this and watched as the kids all ran back to their stations to continue playing. The girl who had come last stood still, however, and stared at the ground. "This is our newest girl, Lilith," Jade explained in a soft voice, kneeling down in front of her. "Lilith, don't you want to say hello to Miss Tea?"

The girl had to be only six or seven. She had long, white hair and appeared to be almost albino in skin tone. She was wearing a blue dress that went down to her knees and black sneakers. "Hello, Miss Tea," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jade smiled sadly at the girl and moved a strand of hair. "Why don't you go play with the other kids, okay?" The girl continued standing for a moment before slowly turning and going back to the swings, which were currently abandoned. Jade stood up and frowned over at Tea. "She just lost her parents two weeks ago, and it's very devastating for her right now. She doesn't like socializing with the other kids, but we know it's just a phase they go through. She's just hurting right now and needs to be left alone."

Tea nodded in understanding and looked over at the girl. She was barely swinging back and forth, her legs grazing the top of the sand, staring down at the ground. "It's a shame, really," Jade continued. "These kids are so intelligent and all want good futures, but they can't live at the orphanage forever. If I could afford to send them to school, I would."

"Don't these kids go to school?" Tea asked.

"Oh yes. The bus picks them up. I mean future schooling, like college."

"Some kids actually stay that long?"

Jade nodded her head. "Yeah, I've had kids stay here until they were eighteen. Nobody can afford to have kids right now or just don't want them. Or, of course, they're making their own, letting these kids here all by themselves. I think that's why they become so close to one another. It's all they've got now, besides you, me, and the other student."

Tea could only stare in awe at the kids. She couldn't imagine waking up every day in this building, not knowing whether her life would be changed with a visitor dropping by or not. "Now you see why not many people want to work here," Jade stated, turning to face her. "A lot of people feel too heartbroken, too lost about the situation. They want to do something about it _now_, and the helplessness at not being able to do anything hurts them. I know I can't change these kids forever, but as long as they're here, they have a home. And that's all you can ask for."

"A home…" Tea understood that feeling of wanting a home. When her parents were going through the divorce, it didn't feel as though she had a home. Her father's house was as close a home as anything, and her mother's house was her worst nightmare. It didn't seem as though she could call anyplace a home. Not until she moved out, anyways. Now she owned her own small apartment, doing chores for the manager in order to stay there. That's why she needed a job so badly. Just to get some money, to start actually living rather than scraping by. "_Maybe this community service project will actually do me some good if I can get enough hours in,_" Tea thought. "_I know it's not technically community service if I'm being paid, but I'm helping others out, and Jade really seems to need the help. She's a nice woman too, and I can't turn her down at this point. Who knows…maybe she's right, and I'll end up working here longer than expected. Besides, it's not like I have anything to lose. I don't have another—_"

"Big brother's here!" a boy suddenly shouted loudly, interrupting Tea's thoughts. She quickly looked up and gasped in absolute shock as she watched the kids crowd around none other than Seto Kaiba, all with smiles on their faces.


	4. C4 The Big Brother

_**Author's Note: Sorry it's been forever since I updated this story, but I've been busy with work and band a lot this week. So to make up for it, I wrote a couple of chapters for you all. Hope you enjoy!**_

**Chapter 4 – The Big Brother**

Tea could only stare in absolute shock at the event that was unfolding before her. Seto Kaiba, the infamous CEO of KaibaCorp…rival to her best friend…coldest man on the face of the entire planet…was actually being welcomed by the children at the orphanage. The kids were gathering around him as if he was a celebrity…well, technically he was, but they acted as though they knew him. All the children had smiles on their faces, big smiles, and were telling him stories about their adventures all at once, causing a rather big scene. But the best part was Seto's reaction to the entire thing. He was smiling as well, though it was just a small one, and kneeled down to get a better view of the kids. He had since changed out of his school uniform and into his Battle City attire.

"What…is he doing here?" she asked aloud. Jade chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He's the other student that works here," Jade stated, smirking widely at her. "I've never seen a reaction like this before. This is actually pretty humorous, if I do say so myself."

"But…what's he doing here?" she repeated, looking in awe at Jade before returning her attention to Kaiba.

"He works here!" she exclaimed, obviously trying to suppress the urge to laugh. "He comes once a week to visit the kids here. They all really like him; they look at him more as an older brother than a worker."

"Really…." It was all she could say. The whole ordeal seemed beyond real. "Why does he visit here?"

"Because this is where he went," she answered, her voice suddenly dropping in both pitch and volume. Tea glanced over to see a downcast expression appear on Jade's face for several seconds before a smile returned to her face. "He knows that these kids don't get to see very many people and tries to visit them from time to time. He won't admit it, but you can tell he enjoys it."

Tea nodded her head in understanding and began to walk toward the group when she felt Jade reach out and grab her wrist. "Don't interrupt them," she warned. "This is Seto's time to see them. I don't want that time to be disturbed. These kids look forward to it as much as Seto does. Please…just let them all talk to him for awhile." Nodding once more, she felt Jade release her grasp and decided to merely stand and watch.

"So, Big Bro, what have you been doing lately?" the boy who called himself Harem asked. "Have you been working at the company like always?"

Seto chuckled and nodded his head. "Yeah, I've been pretty busy there," he answered.

"_Even his voice seems to have changed…_" Tea noted. "_He sounds so calm, so relaxed…his voice isn't cold or demeaning in any way. It sounds the same way it does when he speaks to Mokuba. If these kids think of him as an older brother, does he go so far as to think of them as his little siblings?_"

"Are you making any new inventions?" Harem's brother, Steven, asked.

"Not this week. Mostly just dealing with other CEO's."

"Wow!" Brethor exclaimed. "Were any of them as powerful as you?"

At this, Seto smirked slightly and shook his head. "I'm not sure," he answered. "I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?"

"I'll bet they aren't even close to you!" Lacy stated. Seto chuckled again and merely shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm happy he comes to visit them," Jade commented. Tea looked over to see that she had crossed her arms over her chest and was smiling at the group. "He acts so differently around them, and I think that's good for him. He talks to them the way they should be talked to; he doesn't speak to them like they're business executives or enemies of his. He just…acts like himself towards them."

"How long has he worked here?" Tea questioned.

"About three years now. Once Gozaburo got out of the picture…" At this, she frowned and shook her head. "No, I don't want to talk about it. You can ask him yourself about this. He doesn't like it when people talk about his past, and I respect that from him. I've known him since he went to this orphanage, so I hold him in high regards."

"You've known him for how long?" Tea asked, her eyes wide. Did the surprises never end today?

"Maybe…five years, now?" Placing her finger on her chin, Jade stared intently at Seto and nodded her head. "Yeah, five years. Doesn't seem like that long, though."

"Wow…" The fact that Seto had _any_ friends, let alone friends from five years ago, was just the icing on the cake for today's events.

"Yeah. I'm one of the few that have stuck with him through and through. He had a lot of friends here at the orphanage, but most of them were adopted shortly after he left. I stuck around since my father lived and worked here, which was why it was so easy for me to take over."

Tea went to ask something when he heard Seto begin to speak again to the kids. Marcus had been telling him a story about Luke and him making up a new game, so Seto hadn't spoken during her conversation with Jade. "Where is Lilith?" he asked, his eyes scanning over the group.

Both Tea and Jade blinked at this question. She watched as Lilith, who had been in the background the entire time yet again, slowly walked forward. Tea could see her head was bowed, just as it was when she had confronted Tea, and she wondered what the deal was. "_Does Seto know she's new and introducing himself to her or something?_" she thought, watching intently. "_He wouldn't put a child in front of the others to humiliate her like he does with people his age, if not older. He may be cruel, but not that cruel._"

She saw him pull something out of his trenchcoat, and it looked like a present. It was a rectangular box, covered with purple fabric. "Happy birthday," he stated, smiling down at her. It was the first time she had ever seen Seto give a genuine smile to somebody other than his little brother. Lilith slowly reached out and grabbed it, and the sound of the tearing paper ensued, followed by the children all gasping and asking to see it. "Do you like it?"

Lilith quickly looked up and ran up to Seto, wrapping her arms around him, and began to sob into his shirt. Seto slowly wrapped his arms around her and began to rub her back slowly to calm her down. Tea wanted to suddenly run up to the girl and calm her down as well but chose to stand and let Seto do the work. "He must have gotten it for her…" Jade thought aloud, grabbing Tea's attention.

"What? What did he get her that made her cry?"

"It wasn't the present that made her cry," she explained. "You see, Lilith told us when she arrived here that she always read at home, and though we have a small library here, there's nothing really worthwhile to read, especially since she reads book beyond her age level. So Seto asked when her birthday was, and when she said it was in two weeks, Seto agreed to buy her one book. He must have bought the book she asked for."

"So then why is she crying?" Tea asked.

"Think about it. The girl just lost both her parents. Remembering that she used to read all the time must have made her remember her parents. It's a common reaction to things that the children dealt a lot with prior to their parents' deaths. It brings back memories, memories of things long gone. The girl is just reacting the way every child would when the thought of their parents' being dead returns to their mind."

"It's still sad…" Tea remarked, watching as Seto let go her and held her out at arms' length.

"Are you going to read the book?" he asked, a smile still on his face. The girl quickly nodded her head, wiped her tears away, and ran through the crowd of kids towards Jade. Holding the book up, she smiled at the two before running inside. Tea smiled at the girl and looked back over at the group, expecting to see Seto talking to the other children. What she got was an absolutely death glare from said CEO.

"Uh oh," Jade whispered. "You, uh, know him?"

"Yeah," Tea answered. "I'm Yugi's friend."

Jade's head shot over at her, her eyes wide as saucers. "And you didn't mention this why?" she asked in a tone of utter amazement.

"_At least I'm not the only one being surprised today,_" Tea thought. "I didn't see any reason to. You never told me who the other student was until just now. How was I supposed to know that it would be Kaiba?"

Jade flinched slightly at this, making Tea suddenly worried. "Sorry, it's just that you never--"

"No, it's nothing," Jade interrupted, waving her hand as if to dismiss the comment. "You're correct. Anyways, _Seto_ is probably not going to be happy about this, but we need the help. Hey Seto!" she called over, although there was no point as Seto was staring right at them. "Can you come over here for a second?" Tea noticed how she had exaggerated using 'Seto' rather than 'Kaiba' and watched as he slowly stood up, smiled down at the kids one last time, and walked over to the two, his eyes never even glancing at her.

"What is it, Jade?" he asked, his tone normal and icy.

"She says she's going to start working for us," Jade answered. "I was wandering if that was okay with you?"

"_Okay with him?_" Tea thought, refraining from giving Jade an incredulous look. "_Isn't she the one in charge of this place? Why is she asking Se-I mean Kaiba permission to hire me? If I would have known that I would have to deal with him, I would have never even thought about being hired._"

She saw Seto slowly turn to face her, his eyes scanning her up and down, before shrugging his shoulders and smirking at Jade. "She'll do fine," he replied, making Tea's heart stop. "I know her, though not very well. She's good."

"Alrighty then," Jade replied. "Looks like two will start working with each other. Hope to see you tomorrow, Tea." Holding her hand out, Jade smiled as Tea slowly shook it and walked back inside, leaving Tea alone outside with the kids, who had since gone back to their games, discussing Seto's visit with them. All she could do was simply leave, trying to comprehend what exactly happened and what she had gotten herself into.


	5. C5 Confrontation

**Chapter 5 – Confrontation**

Early as usual, Tea walked up to her locker at school and put in the combination. She opened it up and placed her two books inside before taking out her book for this morning. All she could think about last night was the event that happened at the orphanage, and she was sure that it was to be an awkward day with Kaiba in most of her classes. "_I never thought I would see the day…_" she thought. Her image of the CEO was sure to never recover. "_But why am I thinking so much about it? Because I may be working with him from now on? Because it was so out of character for him that I thought it could never happen? Argh, I need to just stop thinking about it! I have school today and work later on! Maybe I could ask Jade some questions about it…_"

Shutting her locker door, she leaned up against it and closed her eyes before letting out a small sigh. "_Jade and Seto…friends for five years…she really seemed honest about it all. Why would she lie to me like that? She wouldn't, that's just it, yet she wouldn't answer any questions about him either. She must really respect him for that; most people would probably tell the entire world if they learned anything about him. He's always so secretive, so mysterious…and for what? What does he have to hide?_"

She felt a shudder at remembering Battle City, the whole ordeal with Noa's world, and eventually that Gozaburo creep coming out of nowhere. "_Maybe there's reason to hide after all,_" she thought. "_I mean, I wouldn't want anyone to know I had a psychotic man for a step-father._" Shaking her head, she thought, "_I need to stop thinking about this! It's not going to do me much good if it puts me behind in school!_" Pushing herself off the locker, she turned and went to walk forward when something, or more like someone, blocked her path.

"Good morning, Gardner," a familiar voice stated. Tea looked up to see icy, intimidating, blue eyes staring down at her. "Might I talk to you for a brief moment or so about yesterday, or are you too busy at the moment look for the geek squad?"

She could feel the sarcasm dripping from his lips but chose to ignore it and frowned up at him. "No, Kaiba, I'm free for the moment. What do you want to talk about?"

"I just wanted to know why you were there yesterday," he stated smugly. "It wouldn't have anything to do with that community service project, would it? You know, it's not really community service if you're being paid to do it."

"I didn't ask to be paid," Tea argued. "And yes, I'm doing it because of this project. But I found it in the newspaper and thought it would be good for me as well. Unlike you, Kaiba, I'm not selfish."

"Right, right. _I'm_ the selfish one, but you're the one using an orphanage to get a project for school done."

"Excuse me?" She couldn't believe him! "At least I don't run people in the ground and talk down to people on a daily basis, Kaiba! You have a lot of nerve arguing with somebody over what is selfish and what isn't!"

"So is that really the reason why you're helping those kids, Gardner? Just to finish a project and maybe get extra points for creativity?" Chuckling, he said, "I heard your friends complaining about yard work. You must not have wanted to do something ordinary and thought an orphanage would be perfect. Am I correct in this?"

Her jaw dropped at his perceptiveness, but she quickly closed it and glared up at him. "If you're insinuating that I'm using the kids there, you're wrong. After the visit last night, I feel sorry for them and want to help them. Besides, you question me on my reasons for being there. What about you, Mr. CEO of KaibaCorp? What are you doing-"

She suddenly felt his hand on her mouth and her body be slammed into the locker. It didn't hurt, but it shocked the hell out of her. "Don't talk about that," he hissed, looking around suspiciously for anybody before returning his gaze back to her. "_Nobody_ needs to know that I visit that place, alright? Nobody. Got it?"

Only when she nodded her head did he let go of her. She took in a big breath of air and smirked up at him. "Yeah, call me the selfish one. You won't even let anybody know you visit the place for fear of ruining your reputation."

She blinked in surprise as Kaiba's eyes slowly widened, as if he was in shock or hurt. Maybe a mixture of the two, now that she thought about it. "We all have our reasons for hiding things," he replied after a moment of silence passed between the two. "I have my reasoning, and I assure you it's not because of my company, or my reputation, or anything like that. I just…" Sighing, he shook his head and returned to glaring at her. "Don't think I'm doing this little part-time job because I need good publicity or anything like that. I don't care what others think of me. I just do it, and that's all."

Even though she was confused, she let out a sigh and simply nodded her head. "Fine, but don't just go insulting me and calling me selfish, because you have every right to secrets as I do."

"What's so secret about doing a community service project?" he countered, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Besides, the only reason I asked was because I wanted to make sure you weren't planning on doing anything strange. I know you have a good heart, which is why I told Jade you would be good, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't using those kids."

"Is _the_ Seto Kaiba actually protecting children?" she questioned, smiling at this.

A frown immediately appeared on his face, and his eyes narrowed to mere slits. "Yeah, it's really funny that the CEO of KaibaCorp actually cares about somebody, isn't it? You know, I'll bet you were shocked to find out that Jade was my friend. It's so amazing that I actually _do_ have a heart, isn't it? I just save it for people who actually deserve it, not selfish girls who use an orphanage to get a project done!"

She couldn't believe what Kaiba was saying. He was obviously hurt by her remark, but she didn't think he would react this way. But what was she supposed to say? "Maybe if you weren't cold towards the entire world, I would know you had friends and a heart!" she shouted back, glad that nobody was in the hallway. "It's also so amazing that anybody would _want_ to be friends with you! Yesterday proved that you actually are nice and caring, but it's kind of hard to notice when all you do is mock and demean others! If you didn't want me to be surprised at that whole ordeal, maybe you should start trying a bit nicer at times!"

"You weren't even supposed to see yesterday," he hissed. "Besides, why would I befriend my rival's cheerleader?"

"I'm not telling you to befriend me, Kaiba! I don't even want you as a friend!" Now she couldn't believe what _she_ was saying. It just…annoyed her, this Kaiba! "All you've ever done is put my group of friends down, and now you're yelling at me because it's hard for me to believe you have a heart! That's a little backward, isn't it? Tell me, if you want others to know you're actually a nice person, why treat people like shit, Kaiba?!" Did she just swear at him? Obviously she did, for he just stood there, stunned at her comments.

Tea watched as Kaiba, instead of giving a comment back, merely frowned at her before turning on his heel and began to walk away. But she wasn't letting him get away that easily. "Hey, don't walk away from your problems, Kaiba!" she exclaimed, jumping in front of him and holding her arms out to block his path.

"I'm not," he answered coldly. "I'm walking away from you."

"Why? Because I'm actually telling you the truth?"

"Because you're annoying me. Now if you'd be so kind as to move your arms, I could be off to class now."

Even though she wanted to talk to him more, she realized that it was indeed soon time for class as the morning bell began to ring. "_Shoot, I've never been this late to class!_" she thought as her arms fell limply by her sides. She watched as Kaiba walked around her but then heard his voice behind her.

"By the way, I treat people like shit because people are dangerous. Children aren't." Turning around, she saw Kaiba just glaring menacingly down at her before turning on his heel and walking off to class.

"_Great…_" she thought as she also began walking to class, which happened to be the same class as Kaiba. "_Now I'm not only confused, but I've made a fool of myself. This orphanage job is just going to be pleasant, isn't it?_" Sulking into class, she sat down at her desk and listened to the bell ring once more, ignoring her friends' odd stares and Joey and Tristan walking in late as usual.


	6. C6 Apology

**Chapter 6 – Apology**

The morning's altercation had made Tea sick to her stomach. She was having trouble understanding exactly what had happened, but all she knew was that she had upset the cold CEO. He knew her reasoning for signing up to help at the orphanage and was ashamed of her. And for some reason, this troubled Tea to no end. School seemed to drag on all day, and she simply couldn't focus on any of her work. Her friends kept questioning her about her sudden change in attitude, but she would just tell them her stomach was really aching, and they would leave her alone. All she could think about was the way both her and Kaiba acted.

"_That was so unlike me, what I did this morning_," she thought as she sat under one of the many cherry blossom trees that were littered around the school grounds. It was lunchtime, and instead of sitting with her friends as she always did, she opted to sitting by herself outside. Not only was the fresh air nice, but she didn't feel so well and figured that the peace and quiet the outside had to offer would be good for her. "_I was basically scolded for the truth and then yelled at him out of defense. I'm not like that at all. What came over me there? I mean, he provoked me and all, but I should have been the bigger person in the situation. I…I shouldn't have done that._"

"_Besides, now that I think about it, it wasn't like he did anything wrong,_" she mused as she opened her lunchbox. Not surprisingly, nothing looked good, but she knew if she didn't eat anything now, her stomach would torment her all the rest of the day. "_He was just protecting and looking out for those kids. Asking me those questions should have been something natural. If I worked at an orphanage for years, I'd be worried about newcomers as well, even if I knew them. He was just doing his job and what felt right…and I began arguing with him over it. This doesn't help me at all. I should be trying to get along with him. It would make the experience all the more worthwhile. Maybe…maybe I should apologize to him…even if he _did_ provoke me._"

"What are you doing out here, Gardner?" a sly voice asked, making Tea gasp and turn to see none other than Kaiba glaring down at her, his trademark smirk on his face. "Don't tell me you've been pouting all day because of this morning. If that's the case, you have even thinner skin than I originally thought."

"What do you care?" she asked, anger in her voice. Sighing in frustration, she shook her head and decided to stare forward. "_Yeah, get into another argument. That will solve the problem._" "What do you want?" she asked after a moment of silence passed between the two, this time her voice timid and weak.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't upset over this morning, but obviously you are. You shouldn't be mad or anything. You were just arguing your point. That's nothing to be ashamed about."

"I know, but…" Suddenly, it sunk in what he had said, and she blinked and quickly turned back to face him only to find him now sitting next to her. "Why are you comforting me?" she asked.

"Would you rather I just say nothing?" he countered, glaring over at her. Shaking her head no, he nodded and said, "That's what I thought. And for your information, I realized how pointless it would be for us to continue arguing if indeed we're going to be working together. So I'm here to set the record straight; I understand why you're doing this at the orphanage, and I guess whether I agree with it or not is irrelevant. I'm just making sure you know what you're getting involved with. Got it?"

"Are you…apologizing to me?"

"In a sense, yes. However, I don't take back what I said this morning. I meant what I said."

After another moment of silence passed between the two, who were both looking up at the beautiful, blue sky, Tea smiled and nodded her head. "Thank you," she whispered. "I apologize as well. I should not have argued with you about that. I mean, you're doing something good, and I was scolding you for it."

"There's no need for you to apologize," Kaiba protested. "I know exactly why you argued with me, and it's perfectly fine."

"Oh really? Care to enlighten me?"

"You know nothing about me, and I would admit that finding myself working with children is a little out of character. You were just curious as to why I changed so much yesterday for those kids. It's fine. Besides, I don't want people knowing about me, so if this is the price I'm to pay, I'm willing to do it."

"Jade mentioned that yesterday." She could see Kaiba turn his head out of the corner of her eye to face her. "I asked her what you were doing working there, and she basically said it wasn't her place to answer and to ask you. She really seems to like you, you know?"

"That's because her and I have been friends for years."

"How did you two meet?"

"Well, I'm sure she told you about her father originally owning the orphanage. She worked alongside him and often hung around the kids, playing games with them and what-not. When Mokuba and I arrived, Mokuba was beyond devastated at our loss. She helped me comfort him, and we soon began to hang out more and more. It was never a relationship, per se, but just a good friendship. We had a lot in common, and at that time I was desperate for anybody to call a friend. Mokuba was a brother, and even though we were closer than ever at that point in our lives, I still wanted another friend."

"So you haven't always been the loner, have you?"

"No. It was after I was adopted that…" Hearing him stop, she looked over to see him shaking his head slightly. "I don't want to talk about it," he finally stated.

"It's okay," she said. "I'll admit I'm surprised you shared what you did."

"You're not the only one." She saw him glance over at her and bite his lower lip slightly. "You don't need to know any more than that. You probably shouldn't even know what I told you, but I guess I can't take it back now."

"Hey, it's fine. I appreciate it. Maybe…maybe we can stop treating each other like enemies now that we're working together. Who knows? Perhaps we have more in common than we think?"

"Perhaps not," he retorted, looking away from her.

"Don't tell me you still want to fight with me all the time? It's just like you said; it's pointless to fight when we'll be working together."

"Just because I don't want to fight with you doesn't mean I want to get close to you."

Tea went to say something when she remembered what he had said that morning. "People are dangerous…" she repeated, more to herself than him.

"Exactly. I don't like getting close to others, and that includes you."

"But why? Why can't you trust anyone?"

"That's for me to know and you to never find out."

"You don't think I would betray you or anything like that, do you?" Silence answered her question, and she sighed and went back to looking up at the sky. "Kaiba, what made you trust Jade so easily? Do you blame it on being desperate, or were you really searching for some comfort? That's what friends are for, Kaiba. They're supposed to provide comfort. I understand if many who you once called a friend aren't anymore, but I guess…what I'm trying to say is that…"

"That you understand the true meaning of what a friend is," he finished for her. "You think you know what constitutes a friend and want to become mine. Sorry, but I'm not looking for a friend. Not anymore…"

"Well, just know that I'm always available if you need one."

"I don't need one either." Tea watched as he stood up and brushed himself off before looking down at her. "I appreciate you worrying about me, but you shouldn't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be off to class."

"Okay. And…Kaiba?" She saw him stop and turn slightly to see her out of the corner of his eye. "Thanks a lot for the apology. It really does mean a lot." He simply shrugged his shoulders and continued walking until he reached the building and entered. "_Maybe this won't be as bad as I originally thought…_" she thought as she watched a flower from the tree fall down in her lap. "_Even if he doesn't trust me, as long as we can get along, maybe he can learn to trust me. Wait…why do I care so much?!_" Groaning, she shook her head and quickly stood up. "I need to stop thinking about him." And with that, she picked her things up and headed into the school.


	7. C7 Importance

**Chapter 7 – Importance**

Tea walked into the orphanage building and smiled as the kids looked up from what they were doing and waved at her, all of them smiling widely at her presence. She waved back and saw that they were all either sitting in chairs or on the sofa, each of them reading a book fit for their age. Looking around, she saw no sign of Jade and glanced back at the kids. "Do you guys know where Jade is?" she asked, feeling slightly bad about disrupting their reading session.

"She's in the kitchen," Harem stated, pointing at the nearby wooden door.

"Thanks," she replied before going into the adjacent room. Walking in, she saw that the kitchen was actually a very nice size and extremely well done. The flooring was a teal carpet while the walls were a beige wood. One wall was dedicated to a teal counter top with dark, wooden cabinets beneath, an oven, and a refrigerator. Along the other wall was a small bookshelf full of cookbooks and several tables with a microwave, blender, and other things laid about. She saw Jade, who was cutting up some vegetables on a wooden cutting board, look up and smile over at her.

"Welcome back!" she exclaimed, placing the knife down on the table.

"'Welcome back?'" Tea repeated. "This is only my first day!"

"I know, but after most people come to see the children for the first time, they leave. I already told you before that people don't like this kind of a job. It's too depressing for most hearts." Sighing, Jade closed her eyes and shook her head. "Most people don't want to think that these children are all alone in the world. They'd rather forget that fact and live thinking that everyone has a happy family to go home to. But I'm glad Seto recommended you for the job. You seem like you can handle this sort of thing." Tea chuckled inwardly at the irony of Seto recommending her after scolding her earlier that day for having thin skin. "What?" she asked, glaring slightly over at her. "Did I say something funny?"

"No, no!" Tea stated, waving her hands slightly in front of her chest. "I wasn't laughing at you. It's just…Kaiba and I got into an argument this morning, so the idea that he recommended me for this job is just kind of awkward."

"You two got into an argument? Well, you _are_ Yugi's friend. I guess that doesn't help much."

"We didn't get into an argument because of my friendship with Yugi," Tea explained. "He wanted to make sure that I knew that, just because I saw him being kind to those kids out there, he wasn't going to suddenly treat me as if we've always been friends."

"His defense mechanism," Jade observed as she went back to her cutting. "After he left the orphanage, he never liked having friends. I can honestly say I'm surprised he and I are still as close as ever. But he doesn't trust people the way he did as a child. Nobody does, but he kind of took it to the extreme. Of course, I can't blame him, but again, that's not my place to say. Just know that he doesn't mean to hurt you; he just has problems with trusting others."

"That's what he said. He actually comforted me afterwards because I was upset over the altercation and said that he just wanted to keep me away."

"That's Seto for you. He always had problems with his emotions. I think that's why he likes technology; he doesn't have to think with his heart about it. That doesn't make him heartless. Far from it. Just look at these kids here. He would do anything for these kids. Sometimes I think he just thinks of them as his family, a family he never had besides Mokuba." Shaking her head, she said, "I'm sorry, but I think we need to end this conversation. I don't like talking about Seto like this, with him being absent from the conversation. Please understand."

"Oh, it's alright. So…what are the kids doing right now?" She began walking over to see what Jade was cutting up. It was a mixture of carrots and celery. She was placing them in a big bowl, obviously making a sort of salad.

"They're reading, or at least learning how to. Most of the kids here know how to read, but there are a few young ones who are just learning. Some of the older kids volunteered to help them learn. We make sure that they understand that education is important, especially since we don't want them going to school with no knowledge whatsoever. So I always have them read for at least an hour a day. They enjoy it, surprisingly enough. You would think that kids, especially the boys, would hate to read, but it's actually the contrary. They can't wait for reading time."

"I take it that the girl who Kaiba bought the book for likes to read?"

"That's all she does, basically. Of course, she isn't talking to the others yet. I'm beginning to worry about her. Usually the child at least begins to interact with the others after a week or so passes, but it's been nearly two and a half weeks, and she hasn't once said a word to the others."

"What was her name? Lilith?"

"Yeah." Setting the knife down, Jade looked over at Tea and smiled. "I'm going to have them stop reading and let them watch television until dinner is ready. They've been reading for at least an hour and a half."

"Okay. But…um…" Jade blinked and waited for Tea to finish. "…What are you going to do about Lilith? I mean, are you just going to let her go and not talk to anybody."

"Of course not. What I'll probably do is have Seto talk to her. He always talks to the kids if they're having a problem, and they always enjoy listening to him. Until then, I'll just let her do her own thing."

"Don't you want to try and talk to her?"

"Why? You have to understand, Tea, that I'm a worker here. I mean, sure I connect with these kids, and sure they see me as a parent, but…it's different. They think of Seto as a friend, not as a parent. And being an orphan…friends and parents are two completely different things. I take care of them and comfort them to the best of my abilities, but I can only do so much. Besides, I can't relate to them like Seto can. After all, I had parents all my life. He didn't, and he can understand what they're thinking a lot better than I can."

"Oh, I see."

"Why don't you go out and talk to Lilith? Maybe being a newcomer, she'll open up to you a little bit. Or if you're interested in Seto, you can always ask the kids what they think about him. Maybe it'll help you get a better understanding on why Seto comes here so often. As for me, I have to finish this up. Feeding all these kids can be a challenge sometimes! But I enjoy cooking them new things and watching the ones who like it versus the ones who don't."

Tea nodded her head and smiled before leaving the kitchen. Walking over to the large group, she waved at them all and said, "Jade says you all can stop reading now. If you want, you can watch television until dinner is ready."

"Alright!" Caterina shouted as the kids quickly stood up and went to put their books on the bookshelf. That is, all except Lilith, who sat in a leather chair in the back corner. Tea watched the other kids sit all around the television, the twins and the brothers taking the couch while the rest sat on the floor. Marcus leaned forward to turn the television on, and all of them began watching what looked like a cartoon show. Deciding that they were now occupied, she walked over to where Lilith was sitting and leaned against the wall near the chair.

"Hey, why don't you join the others?" she asked, her voice calm and soft so the others couldn't hear her. "I'm sure they want you to hang out with them."

Lilith shook her head and closed her book, and Tea immediately recognized it as the one Kaiba had bought her. "I just want to read," Lilith complained, holding her book close to her and looking up meekly at Tea. "I don't like watching cartoons."

Realizing that the girl probably wasn't going to open up to the other kids, she decided to try out another strategy. "_If Lilith opens up to Kaiba and me, maybe she'll start socializing with the other kids,_" Tea thought, leaning down so that her arms were on the arm rest and her head rested on her arms. "Do you like the book Kaiba bought you?"

"Kaiba? Oh, you mean Seto. He doesn't like it when we call him Kaiba."

"Oh, I'm sorry. But do you like the book?"

"Uh-huh," the girl answered, the signs of a small smile beginning to appear on her face.

"What do you like about it?"

"It's a very complex storyline, but I think it's a really good story. I also like the characters since they're always arguing with one another. It's pretty funny."

"Is it supposed to be a humorous book?"

"It's got a little bit of both humor and seriousness in it, which is pretty cool."

"I'm glad you like it. Did you ask for it for your birthday?"

"Yes. Seto knows all of our birthdays and makes sure to get us something. When he realized mine was close, he promised to get me something. I…It kind of surprised me that he got me the book I've been looking everywhere for. I couldn't find it at all."

"Well, I'm sure he's happy that you like it." Lilith nodded her head, and Tea smiled as the little girl's smile widened. "You all seem to really like Seto."

"He comes to visit us at least once a week," Lilith explained. "Other than people looking to adopt, which the kids say is really rare these days, he's our only visitor. The other kids were telling me all about him. They say he makes games for us to play and installs them into the television so we can play them at any time. He also buys us stuff for school if we really need it. Harem even said that, for the last day of school, Seto had them set off fireworks at the end of the day."

Tea blinked in surprise at the girl. "_Se…Uh, Kaiba…he seems so important to these kids. I wonder…if I stay here…will I become important like he is to these kids? I think I'm beginning to understand why he works here…Just to support these kids when they need somebody else…_" "What grade are you in?" Tea asked.

"I'm in third grade now," Lilith answered.

"Do you like school?" Lilith nodded her head and went to say something when they both heard a bell begin to ring.

"Dinner's ready, kids!" Jade exclaimed as she set a large pot onto the long table which had twelve places set up. "Marcus, turn the television off! Let's show Miss Tea how well Miss Jade can cook!"

All the kids stood up and walked over to the table, leaving two seats for Tea and Jade to sit side by side. Tea took Lilith's hand as she stood up, set the book onto the chair, and walked over to sit next to Tea. She noticed Jade smile slightly at the two before beginning to dish out spaghetti. "Oh, I couldn't stay for dinner!" Tea protested.

"Please! All our workers, a.k.a you and me, stay for dinner! It's part of the job! If you help me wash dishes later on, you can eat to your heart's content!"

All the kids giggled at this, and Tea reluctantly sat down at the table. "_Maybe I'm becoming important to these kids too,_" she thought as she saw them all smile widely at her when she took her seat. "_Visitor, worker…it doesn't matter who it is. These kids just need somebody to lean on. Somebody to be important to them…_"

Sighing, she closed her eyes and thought, "_I'm beginning to think this will become more than a community service project. No wonder Kaiba was worried about me and wanted to protect these kids. As he's important to these kids…these kids are important to him. Will…Will these kids become important to me?_" Smelling the spaghetti that was suddenly placed on her plate, she smiled and pushed all thoughts aside, deciding to enjoy the evening with the kids and Jade as though it was her family, wondering if the kids thought of her as such the entire time.


	8. C8 Exhaustion

**Chapter 8 – Exhaustion**

Tea smiled as the bell rang, signaling the end of class as well as the beginning of lunch. Grabbing her things, she quickly walked out of the classroom and down the hallway to her locker, where she placed her morning books and took out her packed lunch. She never enjoyed eating the school's choice of food and preferred waking up an extra five minutes earlier to pack her own. Shutting her locker door, she walked down to the cafeteria and smiled at her group of friends that were in line. All of them bought the same food every day, and she couldn't understand how they did it.

As she scanned the room looking for their normal table, Tea's eyes landed on Kaiba. She blinked in surprise and watched him as he walked out of the cafeteria towards the courtyard and frowned. Yesterday her visit at the orphanage had gone extremely well, and Tea had learned more about each of the kids at dinner. But after dinner…Jade had given her her first assignment, which was to talk to Kaiba about the Lilith girl. Jade obviously wanted the two to start getting along, and she figured having Tea do this would be a good start.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Tea followed Kaiba outside and saw him sitting under a different cherry blossom tree, his eyes closed and body relaxing. For a second, it didn't even look like him. She was so used to seeing him tense, cold, and hateful. Peaceful didn't fall under any of those. The sun was shining brightly outside as the flowers started to fall off the tree, one landing in Kaiba's lap. He seemed to ignore it, however, for his hand merely brushed it off before lying limply next to him. She shook her head and began to walk towards him when she heard him say, "You're so predictable, Gardner."

Gasping, she asked, "How did you know it was me?"

"Because I saw you enter the cafeteria and decided to leave. I knew you would follow me; you were staring at me all morning, so something is wrong, and if it's about the orphanage I don't need others listening to our conversation. What is it that you want?"

"You really are too perceptive for your own good," she remarked as she sat down next to him, hearing him grunt in reply.

"I have to be. If I am to read my opponents before they can take advantage of a situation, I have to be able to read them beforehand. It's merely something I was taught."

"The only problem is, Kaiba, that I'm not an enemy. I'm a co-worker at this point, and I would appreciate it if you started treating me like one."

"Not this again, Gardner. I'm not in the mood."

That's when Tea noticed it. Kaiba didn't look peaceful; he looked dead tired. There was the slightest hint of bags under his eyes, and as he opened his eyes, she saw a dullness that had never been associated with his blue eyes. He looked… "Exhausted?" It was more a statement than a question.

He waved his hand as if to dismiss the comment and shook his head, sitting up straighter in order to look more alive. "I'm just not in the mood for arguments today."

"That's a first."

"Actually, it's not."

"Well, it's a first for me to witness."

"What is it that you want, Gardner?" he asked, his voice strained. Frowning at this, Tea placed a hand on his back and began to move it around slowly in circles. She watched the CEO's eyes close, most likely involuntarily, and he leaned forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. Placing his head in his hand, he whispered a small 'thanks' before opening his eyes back up.

"What happened last night to make you so tired?"

"I just had a report to write that I forgot about. It took me an hour longer than I had scheduled, so I didn't get home until about two in the morning."

"You only got four hours of sleep last night? Kaiba, that's unhealthy."

"I'm used to it, though. It's just…" Chuckling, he shook his head and closed his eyes once more. "What's the use of complaining about it? I can't change it, so why bother? Now what did you want to talk to me about?"

"But…Kaiba…"

"What did you want, Tea?" he repeated, his voice becoming strained once again. Sighing in defeat, Tea shook her head, realizing that she was still rubbing the CEO's back. Not that she minded. He looked way too tired to argue at this point, and no comments of complaint had risen out of him yet.

"It's about Lilith," she stated, her voice becoming quiet to make sure nobody overheard the conversation.

"What about her?" he asked, his eyes opening widely in surprise.

"Well… Jade is becoming a little bit concerned about her," she began to explain. "She still isn't talking to any of the kids, and I began talking with her about some things. She says that she just doesn't want to interact with the others. I don't know how to fix it since I've honestly never been around orphans, but Jade thinks you can talk to her about it. She wants to know if you're willing to visit tonight or tomorrow and discuss it with Lilith."

"You can't 'fix' it. You can only help her out. What did you talk to her about?"

"I just asked her a little about her interests. She really likes that book you bought her. While the kids were watching television, she just wanted to read her book." Tea saw the hint of a smile appear on Kaiba's face before it vanished just as fast.

"What else did you talk to her about?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Nothing."

"You asked her about me, didn't you?"

"N-No, of course not."

"Don't lie. I just asked to see what your reaction was. I didn't think you actually _did_ talk to her about me, but apparently you did." Chuckling at his trickery, Kaiba shrugged his shoulders. "What did you ask about me?"

Realizing she was trapped, Tea sighed and answered, "Just about your visits there. You seem to mean an awful lot to those kids. She was telling me how you bring them presents every so often and give them video games. She also told me how you visit weekly just to check up on them."

Smirking, Kaiba stated, "The video games were Mokuba's idea. He knows I often make just small video games in my spare time, just to keep him occupied one day if he's bored or something, and he brought up the idea of giving them to the kids. It's nothing special, but I guess it's just something different."

"I talked to Jade a bit as well. She told me about how it's so hard to keep workers around. I was surprised that she 'welcomed me back' when it was only my first day on the job."

"Yeah. That place has a difficult time keeping workers around. Not only because it's depressing to see these kids live without parents, but because the area is pretty bad."

"What does that mean?"

"There's a lot of mob activity in that part of town," Kaiba answered. "Though the mob leaves the orphanage alone since there's nothing to gain from attacking it, people tend to think that they may be targeted or something stupid along those lines. It's really a ridiculous concept."

"Why is there an orphanage in an area of mob activity?"

"Because it was there before the mob. But enough about that…I am appreciative for you working there, even if all you're doing is asking about me."

"I'm sorry. It's just…I was curious, was all. Besides, I think Jade wants the two of us to begin getting along and must have thought it was okay to speak briefly about you."

"She's always tried to have me gain friends as a kid, and I guess that's still a part of her. Although I'll admit she never talked about me to the past workers. She must have high hopes for you and me."

Tea chuckled at this and shook her head. "Well, she didn't tell me much about you, so you don't have to worry about that."

"I don't." He blinked as if he was shocked by what he just said before shrugging his shoulders, his eyes suddenly downcast. "I…I don't care. But do me a favor. Don't ask the kids about me anymore. They don't like it when I'm talked about like a celebrity or the CEO I am. They like me just being a worker there. You asking questions about me is okay with Lilith since she hasn't been there that long, but it's a little awkward for the others. I'd appreciate it if you just asked me the questions you have on your mind. In fact… I want you to ask me the questions, and me only. Not even Jade. She has enough on her mind. She doesn't have to play friendship-maker when she's got ten kids to take care of."

Tea nodded her head in understanding, receiving a small smile from Kaiba, when the two heard a familiar voice shout behind them. "Hey Tea, what the hell are you doing?!" Both glanced back to see Joey and Yugi at the entranceway to the school, the two boys staring in confusion at the two. Realizing that her hand was still rubbing his back, she quickly took it back and stood up, brushing herself off, before smiling over at the two.

"I'll be over in a sec, guys!" she called back, smiling as the two walked back inside. Looking down at Kaiba, she kneeled down and said, "Were you going to visit the orphanage today or tomorrow? I guess we got a little side-tracked from the question."

"Yeah, I'll visit later tonight." Nodding her head once more, she went to stand up when she heard him say, "On second thought, I'll probably go right after school. But…I know you still have questions you want to ask me about." He looked up at her, and Tea saw his eyes staring intently into her own. A flood of emotions could be seen behind that cold, blue exterior, and it made Tea take a slight step back out of shock. "Why don't you and I… Why don't we go to a coffee shop or someplace small for a snack before we head over to the orphanage? I'll meet you outside school, and you can ask whatever questions you have on your mind. How does that sound?"

Tea could only stare in awe at him. "_Is Kaiba…asking me to go out to eat with him?_" she thought. "_He looks so uncomfortable asking this…does he even want to share what I want to know? Is he asking me this because he's so exhausted that he just doesn't care at this point, or does he really want to answer my questions? I mean, of course I want him to answer my questions, but not if it's just a spur of the moment decision because he's tired out. Only one way to find out, though…_" Smiling, she said, "Sure, we can do that."

"Alright. We'll meet here after school. I know of a coffee shop that's on the way there we can go to."

"It doesn't happen to be _Tulip Coffees_, does it?" she asked, a smirk appearing on her face. His eyes blinked in surprise, and she chuckled. "Mai and I always go there. But yes, that sounds like a good place. I'll meet you then."

He nodded his head, though his eyes were still downcast and his expression grave. "You better get back to your friends," he finally said after a moment of silence passed between the two. Remembering Yugi and Joey, she nodded her head and patted his shoulder before walking back into the school building.


	9. C9 Educational Trip

**Chapter 9 – Educational Trip**

"_Where is he?_" she thought bitterly as she looked down at her watch. It had been five minutes since school let out, yet there was still no sign of the CEO. "_If he got in trouble for falling asleep or something stupid like that, I'm going to-_" Her thoughts were interrupted as a limo slowly pulled up to the school and stopped. She watched as the door opened and Kaiba walked out, spotted her, and waved her over. "What are you doing?" she asked as she walked over. Wasn't he supposed to be in school with everyone else?

"I went home after I fell asleep," he explained, entering his limo and taking the seat that faced backwards. She followed suit, taking the opposite seat so that she could face him, and shut the door behind her. "To the orphanage," he demanded to his driver before pressing a nearby button. The black divider slowly went up, and as it did so, he handed her a drink and said, "I decided we could drink them on the way over. I didn't know what you liked, so I just ordered two iced cappuccinos."

"Oh, uh…thanks," she stated, slowly reaching out and grabbing it.

"What? Don't you like it?"

"No, it's just…you…" How could she explain it?

"What about me?"

"Your attire…" He wasn't wearing his usual outfit. Instead, he wore his black, leather pants and boots, a red v-neck t-shirt, and a pair of aviator sunglasses. A simple, black watch was on his left wrist, and unless her eyes deceived her, there was a red post in his right ear.

"I don't like wearing my school uniform or my trenchcoat outfit to the orphanage," he stated, sipping his own iced cappuccino. "The only reason I did last time was because I was running short on time that day and decided to just wear it. Like I said, the kids don't like seeing me as the big, bad CEO of KaibaCorp, so I try not to wear my more flashy attire since it reminds them of it."

"I must say, you seem much more awake than when you did during lunch," Tea observed as she sipped her drink. She blinked in surprise; how did he know what her favorite drink was? Lucky guess?

"I slept during fourth block and went home fifth."

"You went home during fifth block?"

"It's not that big of a deal. I do it more than the teacher would usually allow, but I have a 100 in the class, so there's not much she can do. Besides, it's technology class, and I know more about technology than her."

"Why are you taking technology class?"

"Requirement to graduate, remember?"

"Oh, right. I did that last year."

"I've put it off all these years and decided it would be a good senior year class to just sleep in. So far, it's worked out."

Tea chuckled and smirked at the fact that the two were actually holding a decent conversation. "_Maybe Jade was right after all. Asking him about Lilith is turning into a good experience. Speaking of which…_"

"Hey Kaiba…what do you plan to do in order to help Lilith out?"

"I'll just talk to her. There's not much I can do other than that. In the end, it's her that has to put herself out there. A talk with her may be good for her, though. I always talk to the newcomers one-on-one, and I haven't really gotten the chance to do that. I had hoped to do it the day I gave her that birthday present, but you were there, which led to me having a rather large discussion with Jade."

"About me, right?"

"No, the other person signing up for the job."

"Hey, if you can ask questions about me, I can ask questions about you!"

"I know. I just like giving you a hard time about it. Isn't that why you're here now?"

Tea stopped drinking her iced cappuccino and blushed slightly, realizing that what he had said was indeed true. The whole reason he was now driving her over to the orphanage was for her to ask questions. "I guess so. Still…I like having conversations with you."

"Why?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow and sipping his cappuccino.

"I don't know. You're just…somebody different from the gang."

"Whatever. Now what questions do you have?"

"Oh, hold on a sec. I made up a list in here somewhere…" Opening her brown bag, she began to look through it, hearing Kaiba's laughter at her as she sifted through her folders and papers, eventually coming across it.

"You took the time out to make a list?"

"Well, it's not everyday somebody has the opportunity to ask the CEO of KaibaCorp questions. I figured I'd make sure I knew exactly what to ask instead of wasting time trying to think up of questions. You're not the only one with a boring fifth block."

"Wow, you actually did something intelligent with your time. I'm impressed."

Rolling her eyes at his remark, she pulled the piece of paper out and held it in front of her, taking a large sip of her drink before reading the first question. "Okay, obvious question: why are you working at an orphanage?"

"It's the orphanage I went to as a kid," Kaiba answered, sipping his drink as well. "I had promised Jade I would come back and help her run it when we were kids, and I don't break promises to friends."

"Does Mokuba know about it?"

"Of course. He's the one that recommended the video games, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"Glad you wasted your fifth block for that…"

"How long have you been helping Jade run the place?"

"If we knew each other for five years…" He sighed and said, "About a year and a half now."

"Random question. How old is Jade?"

"Can't you ask her that?" Rolling his eyes, he said, "23."

"Have you always helped out with the kids, or did you used to do other things?"

"What's that any business of yours?" he asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"I'm just curious." He sighed and rolled his eyes again.

"I used to help Jade cook them meals. Mostly I just go over now to be a visitor. Anything else?"

"Not really, although another question just popped into my head. If you knew Jade for five years, did you help her when she first took over? She only briefly mentioned that she took over once her father moved away."

"No, I didn't help her at first. She took over maybe…three years ago."

"Why didn't you help her at first?"

"None of your business," he suddenly snapped, his eyes returning to its signature glare and his voice going cold. Tea was taken aback by this sudden change and watched as he looked outside to avoid eye contact with her, sipping his drink once more. An awkward silence fell between the two.

"Sorry…" she whispered. "I didn't realize it was because of…something bad."

"No, it's not…" Growling in frustration, he shook his head and said, "Let's just drop it. I think we're almost there anyway."

Nodding in agreement, Tea finished her drink and put her list back in her bag. "One last question, though," she said. "It's nothing personal, just… How important are these kids to you?"

"You don't think that's a personal question?" he asked, chuckling at her and closing his eyes. "If they weren't important to me, I wouldn't spend my time visiting them and buying them things."

"Do you think of them as your own kids?"

"That's two questions."

"Oh, come on."

Chuckling once more, he shrugged his shoulders. "I know I can never take the place of their lost parents, but if I can make them happier… I don't think of them as my own kids, but I care about them just as much as a decent parent would." Feeling the limo come to a stop, she heard the driver tell them that they had arrived before Kaiba opened the door. The two walked out of the limo, and as the car began to drive away, he began walking toward the orphanage.

"Thanks for that, by the way," she stated, making him stop and turn to face her.

"It's really not that big of a deal, Gardner. This just saves us some trouble."

"Yeah. I guess…" Shrugging his shoulders, Kaiba turned and continued advancing towards the orphanage, Tea following behind. "But still…thanks."

"Whatever. Oh, and by the way..." Pausing, she watched his shoulders relax slightly and his head hang. "Call me Seto around these kids, okay? But no where else."

Nodding in understanding, Tea watched him walk into the orphanage and wandered how difficult it was for him to actually say that.


	10. C10 Relatable

**_I just want to thank you guys for all the support thus far! You guys are awesome with your comments and story adds and favorite author adds and story alerts and...yeah, you guys are awesome! Thanks a lot for all the support!_**

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**Chapter 10 – Relatable**

As the two entered the orphanage, Tea watched as the flock of kids all turned around in unison, smiled widely, and ran up to greet the two workers. Several waved hello to her, but most immediately turned their attention to Kaiba, who kneeled down on one knee and smiled at all the kids. She noticed how, once again, his complexion seemed to go under a complete transformation. It was as if somebody replaced Kaiba with this new, happier doppelganger. All the stress seemed to evaporate from his tense figure, and the smile on his face made him look like he was the teenager he was supposed to be. His eyes, which were always so cold and demanding towards others, now seemed welcoming and full of compassion. The fact that this change had occurred in a matter of seconds made Tea stand there in awe, not caring whether the kids were completely ignoring her or not.

"Hey you two!" Jade exclaimed, grabbing both teen's attentions. She walked up to the two and said, "Seto, you're here earlier than normal. I take it Tea talked to you?"

"Yeah," he stated, standing up and smiling over at his friend, his voice now matching his eyes: warm and kind. "Where is she?" he asked, scanning the room for the girl.

"Outside on the swings out back. She's been sitting out there all day, and I was going to soon bring her inside just to be around the kids a bit."

"Has she talked to anyone since then?"

"Afraid not. I'm glad you decided to come; otherwise, I don't know what I would do." Kaiba nodded his head in understanding when Luke grabbed his arm.

"Seto, Brethor, Harem, and I all beat that video game you gave us a couple weeks ago!" the boy said, excitement in his voice. "And with no cheats too!"

Kaiba chuckled down at the boy. "The point of the video game is to beat it _without_ cheats, Luke. In fact, does that mean you guys cheat in _all _the video games I give you?"

"No!" Harem shouted, glaring over at Luke. "We only cheated on a few! But not this one, and you made it really tough for us! We couldn't figure out how to beat that last boss! You gotta make them easier, Big Bro!"

Tea blinked in surprise. "_'Big Bro'?_"

"He's not our big brother!" Brethor protested.

"Yeah, well he said we could call him that!" Harem argued.

Kaiba laughed at their little spat and shook his head slightly. "It's alright. As long as you don't make Mokuba jealous, I don't see anything wrong in it."

"When is he coming over to visit us?" Lola asked, standing next to her twin brother.

"I'm not sure. He's been busy with school lately, plus he wants to help take over KaibaCorp after school. I'll tell him you all want him to visit sometime soon, okay?"

"I'm going to totally own him in Halo(1)!" Steven shouted, making both Kaiba and Tea blink.

Looking over at Jade, Kaiba asked, "You let them play that?"

Jade shrugged her shoulders. "I told them that, as long as they realized it was only a video game and that they don't use the language in the game, it would be fine. The moment I saw them pretending to kill one another or talking like that, the game would be gone."

Kaiba nodded his head in agreement and looked out at the group. "You hear that kids? This is a big responsibility she's putting on you guys. You need to show us you can handle these mature games at such an age, understand?"

All of them nodded their heads in understanding, and Tea smiled at the sight. "_He wouldn't admit it, but he must think of himself as a parent to these kids. He's acting just like one!_"

"I'm going to go talk to Lilith," he stated, glancing over at Jade. "You said she was outside?" She nodded her head, and he turned to face Tea. "I want you to come outside with me." Tea followed him through the group of kids through the back door outside and gasped at the view. The entire back area was sand, and she could see several pathways leading downwards sharply onto the beach below. The ocean was a beautiful, dark blue compared to the light blue sky. There were toys in the sand along with a swing set, where Lilith was currently sitting, facing the ocean. Her white hair was pulled back into a simple, long braid, and she was wearing a black blouse with a jean skirt and black shoes. Tea watched as Kaiba walked over to girl and kneeled down in front of her, a small smile on his face. "Hello," he said in a soft voice. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good," she answered, her voice just as soft as the CEO's.

"Are you enjoying the book I bought you?" She nodded her head, and his smile widened ever so slightly. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about some things that I've heard about recently. Is that okay with you?"

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked, her voice now becoming more audible. Kaiba let out a sigh and walked around to sit in front of the other swing.

"What do you think of the other kids?" he asked bluntly, surprising Tea.

"I…I don't know. They all seem pretty nice."

"Do you like Jade?"

Lilith nodded her head again. "She's really cool. She says she likes my white hair a lot."

Kaiba chuckled. "Does she now?"

"Uh-huh."

"Lilith…how close were you to your parents?"

An awkward silence fell over the two, and Tea leaned up against the side of the orphanage, waiting for somebody to respond. After several minutes passed, Lilith let out a sigh. "I…My mom and I really got along, but my dad was always working, so I didn't see him that often. Mom said that he needed to do so in order for us to keep the large house we had."

"Did you love both of your parents?"

"Yeah."

"Is that why you don't want to talk to the other kids? Are you afraid of losing them?"

Seeing the girl begin to shake, Tea sadly realized that she was crying. Kaiba crawled over to her so that he was in front of her and smiled, wiping her tears away with one hand. "I just…don't want to get close to them."

"Oh, now I don't think that's true," he stated in a playfully scornful manner. "I think you really want to make some friends, and I know that the others are more than willing to add you to their circle of friends."

"But…I don't…"

Sighing, Kaiba fixed himself so that he was sitting criss-cross and smiled sadly up at the girl. "You know, when I first went to this orphanage, I was the same way. All I did was think about my parents, and I didn't want to interact with anybody. Sure I had a little brother to help me out, but other than that, I felt like I was alone and had nobody around. I didn't want to get close to anybody for fear of them leaving me, just like my parents did. After all, I loved them just as much as I'm sure you loved your parents."

"But then I began to think about what my parents would think of my behavior. Would they want me to close myself off from the rest of the world? No, of course not. They would want me to move on, to make new friends and gain new experiences. They would want me to enjoy my life even though theirs sadly ended." Placing his hand on her shoulder, he said, "I think your parents would think the same way. And even though I didn't take that advice, I now regret it to this day, and I don't want you to live with that same regret. Your parents would want the best for you, and I'm sure they want you to enjoy life. So can you do yourself and your parents a favor and begin to move on? Can you try and make some new friends? I promise that, no matter what, your parents will always be with you, and the happier you are, the happier your parents will be."

A few moments passed, and Tea could only watch in absolute admiration as Kaiba comforted the girl. "_He's become so personable…so relatable to these kids,_" she thought. "_He doesn't want them to have the horrible experience he obviously had at the orphanage and is trying to help them out. He wants to show them that they're not alone, that others have gone through it, and that they can't just dwell on the past. You can't dwell on the past…one of his personal mottos._"

The girl slowly slid off the swing and wrapped her arms around Kaiba's neck, and he smiled at this and returned the embrace. "Are you going to try and make some friends?" he repeated after another moment passed. She nodded her head against his shoulder, and he held her out at arm's length and looked her right in the eyes. "I want you to be happy, and I'm sure your parents want the same. So are you going to try and be happier?"

"Yep!" she exclaimed, her voice now full of life and happiness. "I'll make my parents happy! Just you watch!"

He laughed at this and said, "Now you can't just think of your parents, okay? You should be happy because you want to be happy too."

"Okay. Maybe I'll play that video game with Luke later on. He kept asking me about it…"

"That sounds like a great idea. Why don't you go inside and ask if they have room for one more person?"

"Okay!" She quickly gave him one last hug before rushing inside, smiling and waving at Tea as she went by. Kaiba watched her and chuckled before standing up and brushing himself off. Walking slowly up to Tea, he smirked.

"Maybe this answered one of your questions better than I had previously."

"Which question would that be?" she asked, still in awe at the event.

"Why I do this. I brought you out here so you could see for yourself that I do it to help them out. I don't want them to be miserable here. They need to learn to move on, and if I can help them achieve that, then I would happily visit them and keep them company every so often."

"That…was really something, Kaiba."

"What did I tell you? Call me Seto here. Just call me Kaiba everywhere else."

"Oh, sorry. Seto…but that sure was amazing, what you did."

"Which was…?"

"You comforted her."

Grunting, he said, "You find it amazing that I have a heart? Like I've previously said, I save my heart for people worthy of it."

"Still…I've never seen you like that before."

His smirk widened slightly, and as he began to open the door leading back inside, he said, "Well, if you continue working here, maybe you'll see that side of me more often."

Before she could say anything, he fully opened the door and walked back into the room, the door shutting behind him and leaving her alone in the silence outside. "_Kaiba… Seto…you're so complex of a person. But maybe seeing this side will help me understand all your other sides…But wait a minute! Why do I care so much about learning about him? I mean, we're just getting along because of this job, aren't we? Maybe he is…but maybe I'm not. _" Sighing, she quickly shook the thought away and followed Seto's path inside the orphanage, smiling as he was dragged over to watch them play a video game.

* * *

(1) – I do not own Halo or anything related to Halo.


	11. C11 Heartless

**Chapter 11 – Heartless**

Opening her locker up, Tea placed her book inside and let out a small sigh. She was early, as usual, so the hallways were almost completely deserted. It was nice and quiet for her to begin another school day. Until, that is, she saw somebody out of the corner of her eye enter the hallway.

"Hey Tea!" Yugi exclaimed as he ran up to her, waving his hand as he ran. "Where were you yesterday? We tried calling you a couple times, but you didn't answer! What's up?"

Turning around, Tea smiled at her friend and closed her locker door. "I was working at the orphanage," she answered. "Why? What did you guys need?"

"Oh, we didn't really need anything," Yugi replied, leaning against the locker. "Joey was taking us all out to eat, and he wanted you to come along."

"Yeah, and then you go off and disappear like that!" Chuckling, Tea watched Joey and Tristan walk up to the two. "Man, where were you?"

"I just said, I was working at the orphanage," Tea repeated.

"Orphanage? What orphanage?" Joey asked, looking quizzically at Tea.

"The one I told you about," she scolded. "I swear, Joey, you don't listen to a thing I say."

"That's not true!"

"How was it?" Tristan asked, eyeing the two suspiciously. "The orphanage, that is. Is it any fun working there?"

"It's a lot of fun!" she stated. "Jade, the owner, is really cool and easy-going. She's always having the kids do projects and stuff, and you can tell she really cares about the kids. All the kids think of each other as their family. It's really nice."

"Are the kids any good? There always seems to be one brat in a group of good kids."

"No, they're all generally good. One just arrived recently, however, and she's not really speaking to anybody. However, Se…Umm, there's one other student that works there. He's worked there for a couple of years, so he tried comforting her, and I think it worked out well."

"Wow, sounds like a nice guy," Yugi commented. "Have you tried talking to him?"

"A couple of times, yes," Tea answered, hoping she wasn't giving too much information away while trying not to laugh at the irony of their conversation…or more like who the conversation was about. "He's kind of rude at times, but I think he's had a bad past, so I just let it go. On the whole, he seems pretty genuine with the kids."

"Are there any other workers there?"

"Nope. Only the three of us work there, and since the other guy and me are students, Jade is the only one there with the kids all day and night."

"Wow. Sounds like a rough job."

"It isn't, really. I mean, it's kind of hard to see these kids without parents, but they seem to be trying to make the best of their situation. It's actually pretty inspiring. Speaking of which, how are your community service projects going?"

"Man, it sucks!" Joey shouted, grabbing a few kids' attentions since the hallway had since become more crowded. "I've been doing yard work for my next-door neighbor, and the guy's a total asshole! I'm thinking of joining Tristan over here, but I don't know if the teacher will let me change this early on. It sucks!"

"What are you doing, Tristan?" Tea asked. "I don't think you ever told me."

"I'm helping to organize festivals and stuff in the park," he answered. "It's pretty awesome. There are some kids from Economics class that also signed up for it, so we always talk about school and stuff. Maybe if I become good friends with them, they'll help me out with the course!"

"Have them help me out too!" Joey stated. "I need so much help in that class, it's ridiculous!"

"Then why don't you just stay after school and ask the teacher for help?" Tea asked.

"Grrr, but I hate that teacher!"

"Joey, you have to pass the course. I don't like all my teachers, but I'm at least passing the course with a decent grade."

"Geez Tea, you're starting to sound like my mom," Tristan commented. "Maybe this orphanage thing is getting to your head, ya'know?" he added jokingly. Remembering Kaiba's comments on being a parent, Tea blinked in surprise and felt herself become slightly paler. "Whoa, it was only supposed to be a joke!" Tristan exclaimed, seeing her reaction.

"No, it's okay. It's just…the kid who works there with me said that he doesn't think of himself as a parent to those kids, yet he acts like it."

"Well, maybe this is your way of showing you care for us," Yugi said, smiling up at Tea. "See Joey? She only yells at you constantly for your bad grades because, deep down, she loves you!"

Tristan and Tea both burst out laughing at this as Joey's face began to turn beet red. "You guys are so obnoxious!" he shouted, growling in mock frustration. "But seriously, I guess I should appreciate it. I mean, some people have friends that don't really care like that. I guess I should be thankful. But that doesn't mean you're my mom either!"

"It's okay Joey, I would never think of replacing your mother." Tea giggled, reached out, and grabbed Joey's cheek, shaking it like a mother would. "Why would I _ever_ want to replace your mother, Joseph?"

"What's the deal with you guys today?!" he shouted, swatting Tea's hand away. Everybody in the group burst out laughing at this, and Joey said, "You know what, I feel like I'm dealing with Kaiba here or something."

Tea immediately stopped laughing and gasped slightly at his remark. "_Wait, why am I surprised? Kaiba treats these guys like crap; of course Joey would say something like that. They…didn't see what I saw_." Glancing behind Joey, she saw Kaiba walk up to his locker, the usual, cold demeanor set in his face that dared any and all to even get near him. That same face that had turned to gold the moment he saw the kids at the orphanage. That same face that showed compassion and care to Lilith and all the other orphans…

Unfortunately, Joey noticed her eye movement and had turned around to see what she was looking at. "Moneybags!" he shouted, making Tea regret ever looking at the CEO. "What are you up to on this fine, lovely day?" A grunt was the only response Joey got as Kaiba opened his locker door up and began sifting through his notebooks. "What, not in the mood to be arguing with somebody who's got more friends than you'll ever have?"

"I don't need friends," was all he stated before placing a book in his locker. "And, as a matter of fact, no, I don't feel like arguing with a dog today. So I'd rather you just left me alone, got it?"

"I am NOT a dog, Kaiba!" Joey shouted, his fists clenching and unclenching in rage.

"Come on Joey, it's not worth it," Tristan warned, knowing this would go unnoticed but saying it out of habit. The entire group frowned, however, when Joey's growl turned into a smirk.

"No, I don't wanna argue either. But Kaiba, I gotta ask you something. What are _you_ doing for community service?"

Tea's eyes widened. "None of your business," he stated coldly, closing his locker door and picking his backpack back up, which had been carelessly placed on the floor in front of his locker. Joey wouldn't have this answer, and she watched in surprise as Joey ran up to Kaiba and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"No, I think it is my business, Kaiba. After all, community service is supposed to help the community, and aren't I a part of this community? So what are you doing, Moneybags?"

"I told you, none of your business," the CEO repeated, grabbing Joey's hand and slamming it into the nearby locker, receiving a groan of pain in response.

"Yeah, you probably just gave some charity organization some money, didn't you?" Joey countered. "That's right; I noticed your name wasn't called for that community service project in class, which means you already did something. But with how heartless you are, I'm sure you just flung some money around to make yourself look better! You probably don't even give a shit about the community, Kaiba!"

Tea wanted more than anything in the world to go up and slap Joey for saying such things. "_Kaiba…you've made yourself out to be so cruel. Why don't you just tell them that you work at the orphanage? Why don't you show them you have such a good side? Imagine what they would think, seeing you working there! You could avoid so much hatred Kaiba! But no, he said he didn't want me to say anything, so I'd best not push the subject now._"

"Weren't you the one bitching about helping your neighbor five minutes ago?" Kaiba asked, tightening his grip on Joey's wrist. "If you're going to yell at somebody on community service, I would suggest learning to practice what you preach. Now, as I already said, I'm not in the mood for arguments, so why don't you run back to your geeky, little friends and leave me the hell alone?" The group watched Kaiba let go of Joey's wrist, turn around, and begin walking away, and Tea involuntarily let out a sigh, thinking it was over.

After being harassed by his friends, Joey was obviously not in the mood for Kaiba's attitude, for in a split second the group all shouted in unison as Joey ran after Kaiba and body slammed him to the ground. Taken off guard, Kaiba fell to the cold, tile ground hard, and Tea could hear his head connect with the floor hard. The entire group ran forward, Tristan and Yugi pulling Joey off and Tea trying to help Kaiba up. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw a pained expression cross Kaiba's features before he slowly opened his unfocused eyes.

"What is going on?!" a sudden voice shouted, grabbing all of their attention. Mrs. Asuka was standing in the center of the hallway, looking down in horror at them. "Mr. Joseph Wheeler, what is the meaning of this? Get off of Mr. Kaiba now!"

Tea watched as Joey slowly stood up and walked over to the side. Mrs. Asuka glared at him as if daring him to make another move before walking up to the CEO. "Mr. Kaiba, are you alright?" She heard him groan slightly before slowly moving his hands to push himself up. "Mr. Kaiba, there's no need to push yourself. Tea, run to the nurse and tell her to expect somebody. As for you, Mr. Wheeler, you'll be explaining your actions in detention this afternoon. Yugi and Tristan, you had nothing to do with this, correct?" Both shook their heads no in response, and she stated, "Then you may head off to class now. However, I'll be interrogating you both on this as well."

Tea glanced back to see her friends leaving for the classroom, Joey leaning against the wall and watching as Mrs. Asuka tried to make Kaiba stand. Her eyes widened in shock as they landed on the CEO, for his eyes were badly unfocused, and it looked as though he couldn't feel his entire body. Turning back around, she began to run towards the nurse's office, knowing full well that Joey was going to get an earful from her that night.


	12. C12 Protector

**Chapter 12 – Protector**

Kaiba hadn't come back to class all day. Rumors were flying around like wildfire on a windy day; all of his fan-girls were either crying or worried that the CEO had been kidnapped or killed. After all, Death was the only thing they could think of to hold the CEO back from school. Most of the intelligent kids in Tea's class, however, just figured he had business to attend to at work or thought school was finally boring enough for him to quit early. After all, it _was_ his senior year. That still didn't stop their interest in what was going on, though. Kaiba always had perfect attendance, but it looked like there was indeed a first for everything.

To say that Tea was worried would be the understatement of the century. She had seen what had happened, the pained expression on Kaiba's face and how he couldn't even push himself up off the ground. But as she thought about it, she realized that the fall couldn't have done that much damage. Sure falling on a cold, tile floor would hurt, but she had fallen plenty of times and seen the boys fall in heaps during gym or just chasing each other around, and they would have a headache but get up and move on. The way Kaiba reacted…it was as if a truck ran him over. She had decided to go check on him at the nurse's office during lunch to see if he was feeling any better, but the nurse gave her a vague reply, stating that he had become ill and had to go home.

Now she was sitting in fifth block, the last five minutes passing by as if it were five years. She wanted to talk to Joey about what had happened, but Yugi and Tristan were called into Mrs. Asuka's office during lunch, and Joey never went to lunch without those two. She couldn't find him anywhere in the cafeteria and wondered if Mrs. Asuka called him in as well. At least she wasn't being involved in this mess.

"_I'm going to kill him for doing that,_" she thought, remembering the incident. "_I'm sure Yugi and Tristan want to as well for making them skip lunch like that. The idiot! What was he thinking? It was as if Joey just snapped and attacked him! Maybe we shouldn't have made fun of him so much…he seemed to take it rather personally. But hey, if Joey is going to say remarks like that, of course Kaiba's going to react. He knows that. If only I could have done something…_"

Groaning, Tea glanced up at the clock to see that only two minutes had passed since she last checked it. "_Come on, move. I have to head over to his place. I have to see if he's feeling okay. After all, it was partially my fault that the whole thing occurred this morning. If I would have just said something to stop Joey, maybe the whole thing could have been avoided. But then again, Kaiba would have probably killed me for saying anything about it. Still, it would have been better than him getting his skull bashed into the floor._"

Sighing, Tea leaned back in her chair and thought, "_I'll go over to his place, as I'm sure he wouldn't be at KaibaCorp right now. I'll make sure he's fine and then head over to the orphanage. Oh shoot…I forgot about that. Maybe I should call Jade up and tell her I'll be late. But…what will she think of Kaiba's injury? She'll probably do the job for Yugi, Tristan, and I of killing Joey where he stands. She seems to be pretty close to him…_" The scene in the limo flashed before her eyes briefly, and she frowned at the memory. "_He said he didn't help her when she first started out. I wonder why…_"

The last bell of the day rang, and everyone, including Tea, bolted out of their seats and headed toward the door. She quickly went to her locker, put her books away, and headed out of the school onto the courtyard. The moment she reached the sidewalk, she took a left towards the Kaiba mansion, pulled out her phone, and quickly dialed Jade's number, which she had received on her first day of work. Pressing her pink cell phone up to her ear, she waited for it to ring twice before a familiar voice said, "Hello, Domino City Orphanage. This is Jade speaking. How can I help you today?"

"Hello Jade," she replied. "This is Tea."

"Oh, hey Tea. What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be coming in late today. I have to go visit somebody and-"

"That somebody wouldn't happen to be Seto, would it?" she asked mockingly. Tea gasped as she heard a door close through the phone line, indicating Jade had moved to another room. "Mokuba called me this morning to tell me that Seto was taken home. You don't happen to know what the hell happened, do you?"

Tea's eyes widened at the tone in Jade's voice. From the way it sounded, she was extremely pissed at the news. "Yeah, I know what happened," she answered once she crossed the street, her voice dropping in tone and volume. "Joey, one of my friends-"

"-The one that's always picking fights with Seto?"

"Yeah. Well, he was in a bad mood today and didn't like the fact that Set…I mean, Kaiba didn't want to fight with him. So Joey body slammed him to the ground, and Kaiba hit his head pretty hard. This happened before school even started."

"Okay, first off, you can call him Seto around me," Jade corrected. "I don't like it when people call him 'Kaiba', especially since that's not even his real name. Second off, you tell Seto when you visit him that I told him not to go to school today."

Tea blinked in surprise as she quickly crossed another street. "Why wasn't he supposed to go to school today?"

"Because he wasn't feeling good last night. And…oh shit. Did you see him go to the nurse's office?"

"No. I just went and told the nurse to expect him. Mrs. Asuka, our teacher, took him there. I went to check up on him at lunch only to find out that he had left to go home."

"Did the nurse say anything about his head?"

"Actually, no. She said that he was ill and had to leave, which didn't really make much sense until now."

"Did she say whether or not she gave him any medicine?"

"Medicine? No, she didn't say anything about that. Why? Is he allergic to some medication?"

"No, but that's the reason he's sick." Tea's eyebrows knit together as she heard Jade let out a defeated sigh. "I know he's going to hate me for this, but this is serious. I'll call the nurse up and ask if she gave him anything."

"Why would medication worsen his condition?" Tea asked as she turned the corner into Kaiba's neighborhood, which only consisted of his house and maybe two others. Since the mansions plus the land bought with them were huge pieces of property, it only took two or three to make up an entire neighborhood.

"Maybe you should ask him that," she said. "Or maybe…on second thought, maybe I should tell you. After all, he'll probably never tell anyone openly about his medicine."

"Seto's medicated?"

"Yeah, for anti-depression. It's not that big of a deal anymore, but for awhile he was having a rough time and needed a lot of medication just to keep him moving. He just switched prescriptions two days ago, and the new stuff's making him really sick, which was why I told him to skip school today. But no, he had to be a perfectionist, and now look what happened. I'm going to kick his ass for this."

Tea wanted to chuckle at her comment but couldn't. "_That would explain why the fall hurt him so badly,_" she thought. "_He wasn't feeling well, and a bash to the head was probably enough to just send him over the edge. But how long has he been treated for anti-depression? I mean, he's not the happiest guy in the world, but he's medicated?_" "Do you know if he'll get any better?"

"Hopefully, otherwise he'll have to switch again. But this is supposed to be his last bottle; the doctors say he's good enough now that he only has to take it periodically. Plus his visits to the orphanage have increased slightly, and I think that's really helping him out. You've seen first-hand how much he changes in front of those kids. Whether he'll admit it or not, that's another story. Stubborn asshole. But let's keep this conversation just between the two of us. He isn't very open about his use of medicine, especially since he never trusted doctors. He's about as happy that this is his last bottle as Mokuba and I are. I just wanted to tell you so that, for future references, you can be aware of it."

"No problem." A sudden silence fell over the two before Tea said, "You seemed really worried about him there."

"Of course I am!" Jade exclaimed. "I've watched over that brat since he first came to the orphanage all those years ago! Of course I'm going to be worried when he misses school for the first time in his life. I'd go and visit him, but I can't bring the kids along and can't leave them alone."

"I have to admit, I'm surprised that you two have been friends for so long," Tea commented, seeing the large Kaiba mansion in the distance.

"Many would be. He and Mokuba were kind of outsiders at the orphanage, though, and even though he watched over Mokuba, there was nobody really protecting him. I felt bad for the little kid…well, little at the time, anyways…and decided to befriend him. After all, I was the owner's daughter and a haughty teenager at the time, so nobody would have messed with me. It saved his ass on numerous occasions."

"Oh, so are you his guardian?"

Jade burst out laughing and said, "Nah, more like a protector. I let him make his own decisions; I just beat the crap out of those who didn't treat him well when he was smaller. Now, however, I think he can look after himself. I'm just friends, nothing more and nothing less."

"Okay, well, I'm at his house right now," Tea replied as she began walking up his driveway. She could tell it was his mansion by the two dragon statues on the brick wall that went down the entire sidewalk to keep outsiders, well, out.

"Alright, I'll let you go. Thanks for telling me what happened; Mokuba really wasn't that sure of what had gone down. And don't forget to remind Seto what I told him about going to school!"

Tea chuckled and said, "No problem. And thank you for the information as well. See you later."

"Bye." Hearing the phone line go dead, Tea walked up the rest of the driveway onto the small, concrete platform leading to his front door. She had to admit the outside was rather nice. A long driveway led up to the front, bushes and flowers lining up along the path. She could see inside several of the windows to see expensive furniture inside, yet no lights were on. Was he even home? Ringing the doorbell, she waited a few seconds before hearing the locks be undone. The door slowly opened to reveal the younger Kaiba brother, Mokuba, in a pair of jeans, green t-shirt, and his black hair hanging loosely like always.

"Tea?" he greeted, his eyes widening in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to check up on your brother after what happened today," she answered. "Is he here?"

"Y-Yeah, he's here. I don't know if he'll like any visitors, though, especially since he just woke up. I'll let him know you're here, though. Come on in." Moving out of the way, Mokuba waited until she was inside the main foyer when he shut the door and ran upstairs, presumably to fetch his older brother.

"_Those two…maybe they aren't as different as we all thought they were_," she thought, smiling inwardly. "_I mean, the energy Set…uh, forget it. Seto, that's his name from now everywhere except school. I'm tired of switching back and forth. But Mokuba's energy and his energy at the orphanage aren't really that different. I suppose Mokuba does more for him than-_"

A sudden sound interrupted her thoughts, and she looked down in surprise at her phone, which was still in her hand from the previous conversation. Looking at the caller ID, she smirked in recognition and thought, "_Now you can explain why you did that to him, Joey_," she said, flipping the phone open to answer.


	13. C13 Easier?

**Chapter 13 – Easier?**

The bedroom had been a bit larger than she had anticipated. The entire north wall was windows overlooking the gardens and courtyard below, and the left wall was covered with bookshelves. A little space was set in the corner between the windows and bookshelves for a doorway that presumably led to an adjacent bathroom. Next to the entrance doorway was a small bookshelf, a dresser, and a desk, all made out of dark wood. The floor was a black carpet; the walls were a dark blue color, matching the blankets and pillow cases on the bed. A little nightstand stood next to the large, king-size bed and had a little lamp, a prescription bottle, and a digital clock set neatly on it. It was a rich man's bedroom to be sure. And the rich man who owned it was now sitting up straight, leaning against the headboard, and listening intently through her pink cell phone.

Seto and she were both sitting on the large bed, Tea near the center and Seto a little to the right. She could see a small black and blue mark that formed close to his temple, most likely where he landed the hardest on the floor. "_Joey should be thankful he is sick_," Tea thought, leaning slightly forward to get a better view of the CEO. "_If he wasn't, Joey would have probably been killed right then and there._"

"You expect me to swallow that?" Seto countered, his eyes narrowing and a scowl appearing on his face.

"_Speaking of Joey…_"

"I just want to know why the hell you deemed it necessary to body slam me," he continued. All Tea could do was listen to what he said, guessing from his remarks what Joey told him. She wished she had speaker phone on her cell, but alas, that wasn't installed into her mobile device. "So do you body slam me every time you think you're having a bad day?" Seto asked, his eyes narrowing even more.

"_Come on, Seto,_" Tea thought, frowning slightly at his comments. "_Can't you just accept his apology? I know Joey probably isn't as sorry about the whole incident as I had hoped, but still, the fact that he's actually going through with an apology is something. He isn't always like that, Seto, and you know it. Why are you being so…so difficult?_"

"Although I don't think it's a good excuse, I guess I have to take it," Seto stated, getting her out of her short trance. "I don't expect this whole 'attack me' episode to occur every day, do you understand? I do appreciate the apology, however, but let's not have it resort to such things next time, else I won't be so forgiving." Pulling the phone away from his ear, he pressed a button and closed the phone, indicating he was done with the conversation. He then tossed it back to Tea and crossed his arms over his chest. "There, happy?"

"Actually, no," she answered, pocketing her cell phone.

"Well I'm not happy about having to skip a day of school either, so I guess the feeling's mutual."

"Why were you so defensive against him?" Tea asked as she pulled her knees up to her chest. Wrapping her arms around her shins, she placed her head on her knees and stared at Seto. "All he was trying to do was apologize for what he did. Why couldn't you just say 'thanks' and move on?"

"That's what that dog gets for attacking me like that," Seto answered.

"He's not a dog, Seto, and—"

"I said you could only call me Seto when we were at the orphanage. Nowhere else."

"Look, I'm tired of switching back and forth. Jade won't let me call you 'Kaiba', so I guess you're stuck with Seto everywhere outside of school."

"Um, no. I don't think so."

"I do. And as for Joey, if you didn't provoke him every day, maybe he wouldn't have lost it and attacked you the way he did."

"I can't help it he can't control his emotions. That's not my problem. Besides, in case you never noticed it, _he's_ the one that starts all that shit. I just happen to end it every single time."

"That doesn't give you the right to--"

"Are you lecturing me, Gardner?"

"No! I just don't understand you!"

"Good. I don't want you to."

Tea sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes. "I can't comprehend how you're so nice to those kids at the orphanage yet are a total asshole to everyone else."

Seto's eyes narrowed even more so at this statement. "I'm nice to those kids because I think they deserve it, unlike that mutt you have for a friend. It's none of your business who I'm nice to or not; that's my life and my problems to deal with. Got it?"

"But Seto…think about today. What if they knew you could be such a nice person? You could have avoided this entire episode!"

"What, and let other corporations stomp on me? Let other people use my emotions against me? I don't think so. And if you even _think_ about telling your friends about me working at that orphanage and telling them how kind of a person I am, you better think twice."

Tea blinked in surprise and suddenly found the blueness of the blanket interesting. "I…I admit I thought about it," she whispered after a couple of seconds passed. "I thought that, if I did, it would stop Joey from attacking you. I felt so helpless, just standing there and watching him attack you after yelling at you for being heartless, something I know you aren't. I wanted to do something…anything…but I couldn't. I promised you I wouldn't tell them, and I never break my promises."

"It's not your fault they're ignorant, Tea. It's mine."

"Then tell them! Show them you can be happy!" Looking up at him, Tea saw his eyes widen slightly before turning to look out the window.

"Why would I? Let them think the way they do. I don't care if they call me 'heartless', a bastard…I don't care. As long as they leave me alone, I'm okay with it."

"But why?! Why are you okay with people not understanding you?!"

"I don't see how that's any business of yours, Tea," he remarked, his eyes returning their gaze to her. "It's easy for me, and that's all you have to know."

"Easy? It's _easier_ for you to be hated than liked, is that what you're saying? And don't feed me that line of shit that people are dangerous. Of course people are, but not everyone is. Maybe if you trusted people more often, you wouldn't be getting body slammed out of ignorance!"

She gasped as the CEO dove for her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her forward so that their faces were merely inches apart. "If you went through what I did, you would understand why I feel this way," he growled, a mixture of emotions showing in his eyes. "Yes, it's easier to be hated than understood; I don't have to explain my actions to anybody. It relieves me of caring what others think about me, which seems to rule over a lot of people's lives as of late. I don't like people, Tea. I never did, and I don't see myself ever doing so. I'd rather be hated than have to explain myself to the entire world. And if that means getting body slammed every so often, fine. As long as I don't get close to others, I'm okay."

All she could do was stare in wonder at him. "How…how can you think like that?" she asked, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. "How can you go to bed thinking of yourself like that every night?"

"Easily, and without much of a problem."

"So you just want to be alone the rest of your life, is that what you're saying?"

"I don't really care."

Something inside Tea snapped, and in one quick motion, she released her wrist from his grasp and grabbed him by the collar. "You're making me wish I never cared about you, Seto!" she shouted. "I was worried about you, for Christ's sake! I didn't know if you were going to be okay or not! And now you're telling me you'd rather be hated than be liked, indirectly saying that my efforts were in vain and pointless! Well let me tell you something! There are people out there that care about you! Jade, those kids, Mokuba, and…and I! We all care about you! So why can't you just show the world that you are a kind person and that you would give whatever was necessary to ensure those you loved were protected! Why can't you just make your life easier for yourself?!" She quickly reached over and grabbed the prescription bottle, shoved it in his face, and shouted, "Maybe if you didn't think of yourself this way, you wouldn't be on your last fucken bottle!"

Realizing what she just said, Tea's eyes widened as the bottle slowly fell out of her hand, tears now streaming down her face. Her entire body began to shake, and she slowly wrapped her arms around her waist and hung her head. "I…I'm sorry," she choked out, her sobs rattling her body. "Jade…Jade told me about your medication and how it made you sick. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up. I—"

Feeling two hands on her shoulders, she gasped and quickly looked up to see Seto staring intently at her, his eyes wide in surprise. There was no anger in them, only sadness. Sadness and a little worry. "You could never understand why I do this to myself, Tea," he stated slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just know this. You caring about me means a lot more than I will ever let on. I…I am appreciative of you, Jade, Mokuba…all those kids. I just…I can't express my emotions like everyone else can, Tea. That's not me. Being hated just makes things a lot easier for me, okay?"

"No, it's not okay."

"Tea, you need to understand that this is something I need to do. I can't let others know about my past and allow them to pry my emotions out. I can't let that happen."

Crying, Tea leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. "I still don't understand."

"And that's good. It means you know just enough, and nothing more."

"What don't you want others to know about, exactly?"

"Ah, but that would be telling." She looked up to see a playful smirk on his face as he wiped away her tears. "Now that's enough for today. Go to the orphanage and tell Jade that I'm doing fine. I should be back in school tomorrow."

Nodding her head, Tea watched as Seto lied back down on the bed, the black and blue mark evident on his pale skin. She sighed and shook her head before leaving the room, turning around once to see his eyes closed, a pained expression on his face. She soon left, realizing how little she wanted to go to work now, and decided to call Jade and see if she could just go home. There was just too much to think about.


	14. C14 Notes and Letters

**Chapter 14 – Notes and Letters**

"And so, class, what we see in this character is something that is common with people even in today's society," the teacher stated as several students took down notes. "In fact, many people believe this book to be a guide to human emotions and reactions, especially to their pasts."

Tea sighed and placed her pencil next to the notebook to wipe the sleep from her eyes. They had been reading a book on philosophy for the past week, and even though she enjoyed the course, she didn't like learning about it at nine in the morning. That was a bit early for her mind to comprehend what others wanted her to comprehend, especially when they wrote the book as though it was for college-level professors rather than high school students. Picking her pencil back up, she stole a glance across the room to see Seto Kaiba hovering over his notebook, seemingly writing down the notes. She knew better, however; she had passed his desk more than once to see the thousands of drawings in his notebooks. Good drawings, but definitely not anywhere near notes. She couldn't blame him, though, since he probably knew more about the subject than the teacher did.

The school had all but thrown a party at the return of the CEO. He hadn't died nor had he been kidnapped. Everything was okay in the world once more; the planets were realigned. The fan-girls still had him to drool over, and the rest of the students still had somebody to talk about when they were bored with their own lives. Everything was back to normal…at least on the surface, anyway.

Tea couldn't explain yesterday's conversation. It seemed so distorted, now that she thought about it. It had gone from Joey apologizing to Seto all the way to the point where she had been crying for bringing up his medication. How did it get that far? How did the conversation get out of hand like that? Once again she had acted like a fool, but why was it that she acted only that way around Seto? She wanted to strangle him when he said he would rather be hated than liked. What would make somebody think that?!

"And so, you can see how this character the author has portrayed for us came to be who she was," the teacher continued, oblivious to Tea's daydreaming. "All her life she was ignored, and it's all she knew how to do. The boy, on the other hand, was loved all his life, and that's all he knew as well. Now most of you have been shown, at least hopefully, a number of emotions, and you all know what and when to use them for. But imagine being loved by everybody or feared by everybody all your life? Do you think that would change your views on the world? How? This is what your next assignment will be about."

The teacher grabbed a nearby folder on her desk and, taking out a large stack of papers, began to pass out the packets for the next assignment. Several students groaned in response to yet another large project, yet most just kept quiet, not wanting to fight a futile battle. Tea was one of the latter as she received her packet and passed the rest back the row. "There is a list of emotions you may choose from," the teacher began to explain once everyone had a packet. "I want you to do exactly what the author of this book did; I want you to create a character that was only exposed to one particular emotion. From this, I want you to write a story about the character coming in contact with another, preferably opposite, emotion and how that would affect them. Would they be scared or welcome it with open arms? That's your next assignment, which will be due in two weeks. All the requirements are written into this packet, but if you have any questions, you may ask me any time. Also, it should be noted that this does not have to follow a particular plot. It can be just a character's emotions towards something, like a journal entry. You may even write it in a poem format, as long as it's long and descriptive enough."

As soon as the teacher finished, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch. Tea placed the packet in her brown backpack before heading out of the classroom towards her locker. "_Geez, what to write about?_" she thought. "_I mean, there are so many emotions out there, it would be kind of hard to single one out. Usually one is associated with many others…after all, happiness can be put with ten other emotions. I guess she wants us to be really specific._"

Walking up to her locker, Tea placed her hand on the combination lock and went to move it when something caught her eye. Glancing down, she saw a white envelope taped to her locker door. No name or signature was placed on the outside, and she slowly pulled it off the locker and checked the front and back. Nothing. "_Now what the hell is this?_" Sighing, she opened her locker up, quickly picked out the only book she needed in the afternoon, closed her locker door, and went into the cafeteria, hoping she wouldn't bump into Seto after yesterday's event.

Sitting down at the table her friends always sat at, Tea looked up to see them at the very end of the long lunch line. "_Maybe I can see what this is…_" Opening the envelope up, she saw that it contained a single paper that was folded neatly. Turning it around, she was surprised to see a long, typed letter. Eyeing her friends one last time, she shrugged her shoulders and decided to read it.

_Dear Tea:_

_I just wanted to thank you once again for visiting me yesterday. I understand why you were confused by my reaction to what occurred, and I just want to make sure you don't take it too personally, especially since you seem to have a habit of doing so. There is no need to worry about me. What is normal for me may be different from you. This is the way I want others to perceive me, and that's my business. I just figured that, since you have been kind when I have not been, I should enlighten you on some things. _

_You know that I had a bad childhood. Noa's world brought some light to that for you all. Well, some things happened around my early teenage years that I still have yet to recover from. What they were are none of your concern, I can assure you, but I want you to know that I will deal with them in my own way. They relate to my whole philosophy on the outside world, so if you thought my attitudes relate to my past, you are indeed correct and slightly more intelligent than I originally gave you credit for. You cannot change what happened, so do not dare even try. There are simply reasons that I am the way I am around those kids compared to those at school and work, and maybe if you're lucky, you will learn about them in time. Or maybe not. _

_I also wanted to apologize for yelling at you like that yesterday. I understand now that you were only trying to help, as you always are, and I guess that upset me. I don't like relying on others for help, and I felt as though you were pushing that onto me. From now on, keep in mind how I am about trusting others. I still want you to ask questions if you find it necessary, but please don't question the answers I give you. You should be thankful I'm even bothering to answer them in the first place. _

_Sorry this is so long. I didn't mean to ramble like this. I simply wanted to thank you for your visit and tell you that I am appreciative of your company. I only wanted to assure you that I'm this way for a certain reason that you cannot change, and I don't want you worrying about it. I'm not a child. Worry about yourself, okay? See you at work on Friday; I plan to visit twice this week._

_Sincerely: Kaiba_

_P.S. The bottle you shoved in my face was pain relief pills, not anti-depressants, and I have plenty of bottles of pain relievers left._

Tea couldn't believe what she had just read. Seto Kaiba had basically confessed his emotions to her about his past and his feelings about her helping him out. "_It's not a romantic type of confession, but it's still something,_" she thought in bewilderment, rereading several lines of the note. "_So he doesn't want my help. Fair enough. I'm actually happy he wrote me this. I probably would have taken it upon myself to help him since, as he says, that's how I am. Alright, Seto. You took the time out to write this up. I guess I have no choice but to honor it._"

Smiling, she folded it back up and placed it in her backpack. "_For someone who said he has trouble with emotions, he sure wrote that out damn well_," she thought as her friends soon came over to the table, all with lunches and drinks in their hands.

"So Tea, how are you doing?" Yugi asked, smiling over at her.

"Yeah, you haven't been sitting with us lately," Tristan pointed out as he opened up a chocolate milk bottle. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing really. I've just had a lot of drama from this job at the orphanage."

"Hey, Tea…how did you get to Kaiba's house yesterday?" Joey asked, eyeing her suspiciously. Everyone's eyes widened at this, and Tea swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in her throat.

"_Why_ were you at Kaiba's house yesterday?" Tristan rephrased.

"Oh, um… Well, I felt bad for not being able to help him up yesterday after Joey hit him, so I went over to his house to apologize for Joey. He wouldn't take it except from Joey himself, so when Joey called me, I handed the phone over to Kaiba and let him explain it to Kaiba himself."

"Yeah, what a great experience that was," Joey stated sarcastically. "Fucken asshole. I try to say sorry to him, and all he does is bash me."

"I find it hard to believe that he's that hateful to everyone," Yugi explained as he took a bite out of his sandwich. "I mean, I've seen his nice side once, and it was almost too nice. Somebody can't be that much a jerk to everyone yet be so nice."

"He's still an asshole," Joey protested. "But whatever. If that's what he wanted to be, let him go. He'll regret it someday, don't you worry."

Tristan nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, I don't know where I would be without you guys. We've been together through and through, and that includes all those rough times with insane lunatics. Imagine if Yugi here didn't have us around! He would be all alone in this world!"

Everyone laughed at this, and Tea took a sip of her juice before a thought entered her head. "_Jade…Seto's 'protector'…is that how those two think of each other? I wonder if they're as close to each other as we are…_" Frowning, she shook her head and thought, "_I really need to stop thinking about him._"

"Uh, Tea…are you alright?" Yugi asked, noticing his friend's sudden distress.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just had a random thought there."

"Random thoughts suck," Joey commented, taking another bite out of his pizza.

"You would know," Tristan countered, making the group burst out laughing again. Tea smirked and wandered where she would be without these guys before taking a sip of her drink. "_Where would I be without anybody in my life…?_"


	15. C15 Shots

**Chapter 15 – Shots**

"Come on, Marcus, pass us the ball already!" Luke exclaimed, waving his arms frantically in the air and trying to get Marcus's attention. Tea chuckled as she watched Marcus throw it to Caterina, who was standing right behind Luke to the right, and run away as Luke groaned in anger. "Oh, come on! That's not fair!"

"Hey, let's behave over there!" Jade scolded but was unable to hide the smile on her face. Walking up next to Tea she asked, "So, how was he doing today?"

"Who? Seto?"

"No, your imaginary friend. Yes, Seto."

"He was okay. He said he's coming over tomorrow again."

"He's visiting twice in one week?" she asked skeptically, her eyebrows knitting together slightly. "What's that all about?"

"I don't know. He…he wrote me a note about it."

"He wrote you a note?" she repeated slowly, as if trying to comprehend a difficult mathematical equation.

Blushing slightly, Tea shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, he left me one on my locker. We had a…kind of an argument yesterday, and he wrote me a note apologizing about the whole thing. He also wrote that he was visiting Friday."

"That's…really odd." Shaking her head, she said, "Whatever. To each is own…I guess. How was his head?"

"It looked a little better from what I could tell. I could see that the black and blue mark had subsided a bit."

"That's good to hear. The last thing he needs is a scar on his head." Tea chuckled and nodded in agreement. "So what was your argument about?"

"Oh…um…well, uh…can we not discuss that?" she asked, glancing over at her before turning her attention to the kids. "That was just a bad ordeal, and I'd rather move on than talk about it."

"What did he do? Yell at you?"

"Let's just say that, even though he did, I think I deserved it."

Jade sighed and replied, "Alright. I'll let it slide. But just tell me this: what was the argument about? You don't have to tell me what you or he said; I just want to know what you guys were discussing."

Tea wanted to ask her if that was any of her business to begin with, but remembering how she basically thought of Seto as a little brother, she figured it would be a bad thing to say. "_I already pissed off Seto, so it would probably be in my best interest to stay on everyone else's good side at this point._" "I just felt bad about not being able to help him when my friend attacked him," Tea explained. "But then I began to think about how easier it would be if Seto was nicer to everyone to explain his ways, and when I questioned him about it, he said he enjoyed being hated rather than liked. I kinda lost it there and let him have it."

"What did he say?!" Jade shouted in surprise, grabbing a few kids' attentions in the process. "Go back to playing!" she ordered, eyeing the kids quickly before her gaze returned to Tea.

"He said…that he would rather be hated than understood by society."

Jade just stood there, looking at her in complete awe, before letting her shoulders slowly slump forward, her head hanging. "It seems he still has his past riding on his back…" she commented, turning her body to face the kids.

"Excuse me?"

"Seto…he didn't have a good past at all. In fact, I think he would have been better off if he had stayed in this orphanage. I wanted to believe that he was finally letting go of it, especially since the doctors say his anti-depression medication isn't doing its job anymore, but rather he's doing it. Now I see that it was just false. Dammit…" She whispered her curse as she looked up to watch the kids, who had since continued their game of ball.

"Might I ask what happened that made him think that way?" Tea questioned.

"No. Definitely not without Seto's permission." Jade's eyes narrowed as she shook her head, almost violently, in response.

"But if—"

"What happened back then was horrible, and I am in no position to tell that to anybody. If you want that information, you'll need to ask Seto himself. And if what you said he said was true, he won't be doing that anytime soon." Sighing, Tea reluctantly nodded in understanding. "But…" she added, a small smile forming on her lips. "I am happy you care that much about him. I think he needs somebody like that; somebody who he doesn't consider family treating him well. Who knows? Maybe you're just what he needs?"

"Which is?"

"A girlfriend."

Before Tea could reply to the outrageous response, a sudden gunshot sounded in the area. The kids immediately stopped their game, the ball falling to the ground, as Jade's eyes widened in shock. "Inside now!" she screamed, pointing towards the doorway into the orphanage. All of the children ran to the door and inside the orphanage, and Jade turned to look at Tea. "Make sure nobody's outside, alright? I'm going to go in and calm them down."

Completely thrown off guard, Tea did the only thing she could, so she frisked the playground to make sure everyone was inside. When she was sure that nobody was left, she ran inside to see the kids huddled around the living room area. A few were shaking out of fright, but most seemed rather bored, as if this was a daily routine for them. Jade, who was kneeling beside a crying Lacy, looked up and frowned at her. "Was there anyone outside?"

"Not that I could tell," Tea answered, walking over to the group of kids. They all looked so depressed suddenly that it made her heart sink into her stomach. "Wh-what was that all about?"

"Just the local mob," Jade explained. "There aren't that many shootings around here anymore, but whenever there is one, that means something big is happening. So when we hear a gunshot sound, we make sure that the kids are inside safely. We don't need any of them to be hit by stray bullets."

The fact that this was a bad area for mobs never really sank into until that moment. "_We have to bring them inside for their safety…_" she thought bitterly, tears beginning to form at the edges of her eyes. "_All they want to do is play with each other, having nobody else in their lives, yet they have to be on constant vigilance because the adults in the world are fighting over stupid things like territory and money. How…how sad is that?_"

"Is…is anybody doing anything about this?" Tea asked, trying to make it sound as though she wasn't going to suddenly break down.

"Well, the police do their best, but Domino City's forces aren't exactly top-rated officers. We are in the best position in this part of town, however, in that we're away from where most of the mob activity occurs. We still come inside, though, just to be safe."

"So nobody is doing anything about this?"

"What _can_ they do? As long as nobody gets hurt here, the police can't really do much about the situation save go after the guys on their own."

"But…"

"Although, you may be happy to hear, Seto's trying his best to move us."

"Move you?"

"Yep. He wants to move us," she repeated. "He wants to move the orphanage to the northern part of town, away from all the mob activity and what-not. Have you seen the construction site near the park up there?" Tea nodded her head, remembering Joey complain about his path for biking being marked off and eventually taken away. "That's where the new orphanage will be. I've wanted to move this place for awhile now, ever since I noticed the mob activity starting up around here, but we never had the funds to do so."

"And Seto's building this himself?"

"Well, not by himself, but he's paying for it fully. He said that he had a lot to owe me and thought this would do it."

"What does he have to owe you for?"

"None of your concern."

Tea rolled her eyes at the response, receiving a chuckle from Jade. "_These two and their secrets!_" she thought as Jade walked around to make sure all the kids were okay. "_Anything relating to Seto's past seems to be in confidential files. What is it that happened to make them so secretive of his past? Sure, I know Gozaburo was a total jerk to him, but there seems to be something else that happened. And from the way Jade was talking, it happened after he was at the orphanage, so it must have occurred while he was living with Gozaburo. Interesting… I wonder if Mokuba may know anything about it?_"

"Does the public know about Seto funding this place?"

"What do you think? Of course not. That would be giving away his secret that he often visits here. That's why your news about him visiting twice a week surprised me so much. If he visits here more than twice a week, I'm afraid people may start noticing."

"I take it you don't want the public to know about this as much as he doesn't?"

"I don't really care, but I do agree with him on one thing. Even though some publicity would be nice, these kids couldn't handle the paparazzi and all that chaos that seems to follow Seto. If news were to spread that he visits this place for the kids, his past would get leaked out, these kids would be harassed, I would be harassed…it would be just too much. No, he's done this for a long time, and so far so good."

"So how is he hiding his identity when it comes to building an orphanage?"

"When you see a building being constructed, do you question who is in charge of its construction?" Tea's silence answered her question. "Exactly. He's been really quiet about the whole operation, so nobody knows about it."

"Do you know when it will be done?"

"Hopefully soon. However, being the realist that I am, I'm guessing between a year or two."

"Oh…I see."

"And as long as _you_ keep your mouth shut about it, it will stay that way," Jade added, pointing her finger at Tea. "You got that? We've trusted you with a lot of information thus far; don't disappoint us now."

Remembering how she had yelled at Seto over his medication, something that was supposed to be a secret, she slowly nodded her head and said, "Okay. I won't."

"Good. Now, it sounds like the action has died off, but I'm going to keep these kids inside for the rest of the day just in case something else happens. If you want to go home, you're free. I don't like workers sticking around after something happens. They tend to be stuck here all night since the police block off roads and do all sorts of stuff."

Nodding her head in understanding, Tea quickly grabbed her things and took one last look at the kids before heading off, wondering what kind of secrets were locked inside both Jade and Seto's heads and how she was going to pry them out.


	16. C16 Invitation

_**Author's Note: Wow, I have such an awesome fan-base! You guys are leaving so many comments, I actually feel somewhat special! :P Thanks so much for all your guys' support thus far! **_

**Chapter 16 – Invitation**

Walking out of the school, Tea let out a heavy sigh and smiled. It was Friday; two days of freedom from the school hallways and annoying teachers was waiting right around the corner. She only worked that night at the orphanage, so the rest of her weekend was free. Although it sounded nice now, she knew what would happen. By Saturday afternoon, she would be bored out of her mind and probably invite herself over to Yugi's house for some company. After all, her apartment did get pretty dull with nobody around, and there was only so much to do.

She turned the corner and began to walk down the sidewalk, letting the gentle breeze play with her brown hair, when she felt a hand touch her shoulder slightly. Turning around, she gasped in surprise and asked, "Se…Kaiba?"

"That's more like it," he remarked, crossing his arms over his chest and smirking. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and his traditional boots along with a green t-shirt and black necklace with a dragon emblem hanging from the string. He was also wearing his sunglasses, covering his deep, blue eyes. Lastly, a black post was set in his right ear. Somebody would have to do several double-takes to recognize it as the CEO of KaibaCorp.

"When did you change?" she asked, watching him take a few steps forward.

"Right after school ended. Now come on. I have to talk to you about something, and you _are_ heading to the orphanage, aren't you?"

Eyeing him curiously, Tea slowly nodded her head and followed him down the sidewalk. "So…how is your head feeling?"

"Better," he answered curtly.

"Joey was so startled about the phone call. He kept asking me why I was at your house in the first place."

"And what was your reply?"

"I said I felt sorry about not being able to help you out and decided it would be right for him to apologize."

"Did he buy it?"

"Of course. What else would I have come over for? He doesn't know you work at the orphanage."

"Right. Well, that's good. Since he's so stupid, though, I guess he would buy that kind of lame excuse."

"Geez, you're being an asshole today."

"Why thank you."

Tea growled and rolled her eyes. "That wasn't meant to be a compliment."

"No, but it came out that way, so you'll have to deal with it."

"Look, I'm not in the mood for arguing today, so I—"

"And who said I was? Besides, like I said, I wanted to talk to you about something. I just found your remark amusing."

"I don't understand how you can find something like being called an asshole amusing."

"Maybe I don't want you to understand. Did that concept ever enter your mind?"

Sighing in frustration, Tea asked, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

An awkward silence fell over the two as they crossed the street, and she glanced over to see a frown had formed on Seto's face. Putting his hand on the back of his neck, he said, "Well…there's this party that I have to attend, being the CEO of a technology-based corporation. It's hosted by an engineer who has been designing all sorts of technological parts that many companies, including mine, use. He hosts an annual party to discuss new inventions with all the other CEO's and managers of other businesses, and since I'm one of his clients, I'm always invited. However…this year, for some reason or other, he wants it to be a big to-do. He's asking everyone to invite a personal friend, girlfriend, boyfriend…anybody, just to make it more spectacular. I think he wants the publicity from the party since I know his business has been going down slightly, but that's none of my concern. Mokuba would never want to go, and I know Jade hates those kinds of things, so I was wandering if….if you would come along."

Tea blinked several times at Seto, letting the information sink in. "Well, when is the party?"

"It's Sunday. I'm sorry this is kind of late, so if you have plans already, it's okay. He didn't send the invitations out until yesterday."

"This Sunday?"

"Like I said, if you're busy, it's fine," he stated, waving his hand slightly. "I don't want you to give up your weekend plans."

"No…no, I don't have anything going on this weekend," she stated, still shocked by his behavior. "But how fancy of an occasion is this going to be? I probably don't have anything in those standards."

"You won't have to worry about that. I'll be sure to buy you something nice to wear. But…are you saying that you'll go?" Tea was amazed at how difficult it was for her to say yes, so she slowly nodded her head. A small smile began to tug at Seto's lips, so he quickly turned his head and muttered, "Thanks a lot."

"It's no problem," she reassured him as the two crossed yet another street. "Like I said, I don't have any plans, so I would just get bored anyway."

"Whether it's out of boredom or not, I still appreciate it," he stated, his voice going back to its cold normalcy. "The party is at four and shouldn't be too late, but it takes an hour to his house. Why don't you come over around two? That would give you some time to get ready, and then we can head out from my place to the party. Don't worry about a ride; I'll take you home right afterwards." Smirking, he added, "I wouldn't want to be the reason you fall asleep in class on Monday."

Chuckling, Tea nodded her head and said, "That sounds good. Who all is going to be there?"

"Oh, you know, the usual group of rich snobs and fake women," he replied as he put his hands in his pants pockets. "I hate going to these conventions, but it's part of my job to make an appearance. Besides, I have to know what he's planning on releasing next so that I can keep up with production and what-not."

"Sounds like you really love these things."

"Ugh, I hate them. All they do is try to out-sneer one another. It's disgusting, really, but I guess complaining about it is pointless. I still have to go to it, so bitching about it isn't going to solve anything."

"Sometimes you act way too mature for your own age," Tea commented.

"It's the truth, nonetheless."

"Still, it's nice sometimes to just let go of frustration like that. I mean, too much complaining makes one a pain, but everyone complains a little bit."

"You mean like you complaining about my philosophy on life? No, that was pure annoyance."

"That wasn't what I meant," Tea countered, glaring at him slightly. Sighing, the two turned the corner and could see the orphanage in the distance. "This is sort of random, but I heard you were moving the orphanage to the northern part of town."

"Jade tell you that?"

"Yeah. Yesterday we heard a gunshot, and she made sure that everyone went inside and stayed there for the rest of the day."

"This area seems to only be getting worse," Seto remarked, looking around at the surrounding buildings. "I hate worrying about these kids all the time, so I figured if I moved them up to the northern section of Domino, they would be safer. They wouldn't have to worry so much about the mob attacking. No such thing has occurred yet, but I don't plan on waiting for it to happen."

"Did _the_ Seto Kaiba just admit to worrying about little children?" Tea asked playfully, smiling up at the CEO. Instead of glaring down at her or insulting her as he usually did when she touched the subject, he opted to smirking playfully.

"I know, right?" he stated. "Who knows? Maybe I'll become this kind, golden-hearted individual after all?"

"And now he's telling jokes! The day just gets better and better!" She burst out laughing at this and noticed that he was doing his best to stifle his chuckling. "Oh come on, you can laugh, can't you?"

"I can, but…"

"Well then laugh!" she exclaimed, jumping in front of him. "Laughing makes you healthier, you know?"

"And why are you so worried about my health?"

"I'm not. I just want to hear you laugh."

"Bullshit."

Chuckling, she placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Fine, don't laugh. But I am amazed at you, Seto."

"What did I—"

"Okay, _pal_, you invited me to go to a party with you. I would think I could use your first name now. Besides, we're near the orphanage, so what does it matter?"

Sighing in defeat, Seto smirked and said, "Whatever. Maybe next time I'll invite an imaginary friend to the party instead of an annoying one."

Blinking in surprise, Tea let her hands fall limply to her side. "You…just said…"

"Come on, let's go," he ordered, covering the side of his face with a hand to hide the blush creeping up on his face. Quickly walking around her, he headed towards the orphanage, leaving her behind. Tea could only watch in awe as he entered the orphanage.

"_An imaginary friend…instead of an annoying one…an annoying friend? Did he just call me…a friend?_" Shaking her head, she ran to catch up with him only to see the children surrounding him in the area out front, Jade smiling at the scene.


	17. C17 The Dress

_**Author's Note: Woooot! Because of you guys, I have officially done the unthinkable! I've accumulated 50 comments for one story!! Thank you guys so much for making this story and those fifty comments possible! You guys are really super-awesome! **_

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**Chapter 17 – The Dress**

Tea definitely didn't expect the weekend to go by as quickly as it did. She had hoped to think of something to wear to the party, but she couldn't find anything that seemed to suit the CEO's styles or estimated wealth. She had no other choice but to see what he had picked out for her, and Saturday came and went quickly, bringing Sunday and a new dress along with it.

Knocking on the front door, Tea fidgeted a little as she waited for the door to be opened by none other than Mokuba Kaiba. "Tea!" he exclaimed, quickly moving out of the way to let her in. "I'm glad you came. Seto told me all about you coming to the party with him. Thanks a lot; you saved me from having to go!"

Tea chuckled and walked into the main area, listening as Mokuba shut the door behind her. He walked around in front of her before saying, "Seto's getting ready right now, but he told me to lead you to your changing room! There's a woman up there who's going to be helping you into your dress!"

"Really?" she asked skeptically as Mokuba began running up the stairs. He smiled at her and nodded his head vigorously.

"Yeah. I've seen what he picked out, and he must reeeeally like you to choose those particular dresses!" Tea blushed at this and followed him up the staircase and down the hallway.

"You have a lot of rooms in this place," she commented as they turned a corner and began walking down another hallway.

"Yeah, but it gets kind of lonely in here, though," Mokuba stated, looking around at all the doorways. "I think Seto likes the peace and quiet, yet I can't stand it."

"Don't you have friends over?"

"All the time, but it doesn't change the fact that, once they leave, this mansion goes back to being silent."

"I…see."

"Well, here's the room!" he exclaimed, pointing at the nearest door. "I'll tell Seto you're here getting ready. Oh, he told me to warn you that if she causes any problems, just let him know, alright?"

Chuckling again, she nodded her head in understanding and waited until he ran back down the hallway and turned the corner, completely out of sight. "_This will be different,_" Tea thought as she opened the doorway up. "_I've never really been pampered before like this… I feel almost like royalty._"

Walking into the room, Tea gasped in surprise at its elegance. White, thick curtains hung in front of the windows, and the floor was a cream-colored carpet. The walls were also a whitish color, though they had a hint of something she couldn't recognize in them. A shade of red, perhaps? There was a large bed against the one wall with red blankets on it. To the right was a very large vanity. A woman who looked to be about twenty-five years old was sitting on the wooden chair. She had curly, blonde hair and was wearing a simple, black dress that fit her body flawlessly. Looking up in surprise, the woman smiled and bowed slightly before standing up.

"Hello," she greeted as she walked up to Tea. "I'm here to help you into your dress, as I'm sure the younger Kaiba has already informed you of."

"Y-Yes," she answered, swallowing the lump in her throat. The woman must have noticed this, for she laughed at Tea before patting her lightly on the shoulder.

"Please, I do this for a living, darling," she stated before turning around and walking towards a rack of clothing. "Don't think that this is such a big deal, alright? I always tell my clients if they have never been fitted before to think of it as though they're getting ready for a prom date. People never feel nervous about those."

"_Yeah…whatever…_"

"Can you come over quickly, Miss, uh…"

"Tea."

"Tea. That's a nice name. Well, Miss Tea, could you come over here please?" Setting her purse down on the edge of the bed, Tea did as she was told. Her eyes widened at the dresses hanging on the rack. All of them looked like they were to be worn in ballrooms or places of - dare she mention it again? - royalty. "Hmm…I think that, even though your eyes are blue, a nice purple would look good."

"Purple?" Tea asked. She never wore purple.

"Let's just try something purple on, shall we?" the woman requested, smiling sweetly at her with thick, deep red lips. Taking a hanger off the rack, the woman laid the dress down on the bed and quickly took it off, revealing it as a dress with a corset. Both the corset and dress seemed to be made of a lovely shade of purple satin. "Why don't you change out of your clothing while I get this ready for you?" she asked, beginning to untie the corset.

Blushing slightly, Tea nodded her head and began to change out of her clothing. "_Dammit, Seto, this party better be worth this much trouble,_" she thought as she was finally left in nothing but her underwear. The woman had undone the dress by now and picked it up off the bed.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry! I never told you my name!" Sighing, she rolled her eyes and said, "I just love dressing people up and what-not, and sometimes I forget common courtesy. You'll have to excuse me; the name is Lucy."

"Hello Lucy," Tea stated as she was given the purple, strapless dress.

"And hello Tea! Now, Tea, could you put this dress on for me? I want to make sure it fits well." Nodding her head, Tea quickly unzipped the back of the dress and pulled it onto her until it covered her breasts. Lucy zipped the back up and asked, "How does it feel?"

"It feels…very comfortable," Tea answered, wandering how on Earth Seto knew her dimensions. Either he had researched them from the ballet school she attended or was a damn good guesser. The problem was that with somebody like Seto Kaiba, both of those possibilities were, well, possible.

"Great! And it looks really good on you! Now for the corset!"

"The…corset?"

"Of course! Men love women who wear corsets! Sure, it may hurt a bit at first, but you get used to it real easily."

"I'm not here to show off to men," Tea remarked as the woman lifted the corset off the bed.

"You still have to look gorgeous for this party tonight," Lucy countered as she once again walked around Tea. Pressing the corset against her stomach, Lucy began tying the back of the corset up. "Besides, we have to hide the zipper on the back of this dress, and nothing does that better than a corset!"

"Can you make sure that I can still breathe and eat properly?" Tea questioned, feeling the corset begin to constrict her body into whatever shape it wanted.

"Yes, yes, of course I will. Can't have you passing out, now can we?" Tea held back her groans of pain as Lucy eventually finished tying up the back. Once it was secure enough, Lucy stood up and walked around, quickly looking Tea over. "Oh, it's so beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Come on, let me show you!" She reached down and grabbed Tea's hand, pulling over to the tall mirror stationed next to the vanity.

Tea could only stare in awe at herself. The dress fit absolutely perfectly to her shape. The purple corset was shining brightly in the sunshine that came in from the far window, and she had to admit that the shade of purple used looked stunning on her. The corset had gold, thin lines down the sides and front, and the top was cut down at a small angle between her breasts, leaving the slightest hint of cleavage showing. The dress was simple with a golden line hugging the bottom.

"Now for shoes and the accessories!" Lucy proclaimed as she went over to the vanity. Tossing a pair of black heels at Tea, she stated, "Put these on while I find you some jewelry to wear." Grabbing several things, she set them down on the bedside as well and said, "Just stay put, and I'll put these things on you. You tell me whether you want them or not, alright?"

"Okay," Tea answered nervously as she planted her feet inside the shoes. Never had she felt so beautiful in her life. The fact that Seto Kaiba had hired somebody to pamper her like this was a feat all by itself. The whole situation seemed rather surreal to her.

"Would you like black gloves or purple arm sleeves?" she asked, holding a set of each item in both hands.

"Black gloves I think would look better," Tea answered.

"Alright then. Try them on while I find some jewelry for you." Tea caught the gloves tossed at her and slipped them on, feeling the soft, satin, black fabric against her skin. Lucy soon came back with more necklaces and sets of earrings than Tea had ever seen at one time. "Would you like a simple or more exotic necklace?"

"Umm…what do you have?"

"Well, for that dress, I would go with either a simple white or a simple gold necklace. If you want something more exotic, I have just the thing for you." Picking up one of the necklaces from the pile, she held it in her hand and smiled. A golden leaf was hanging from a dark purple, velvet-covered string. Tea's eyes widened at the time obviously put into the leaf, making Lucy smile. "Here, let's try it on." Slipping it around her neck, Tea tingled at the cold metal hitting her bare skin but smiled widely at her reflection in the mirror. "Last but not least, some simple earrings will do just the trick!" Lucy grabbed a pair of plain, shiny, gold studs and swiftly put them in Tea's ears. "There. What do you think? All we need is a little mascara and some lip gloss, and you'll be looking absolutely amazing!"

"Wow…thank you so much for this," Tea said, in shock that she had literally gone through an entire transformation within the matter of perhaps fifteen to twenty minutes.

"Oh, it's no big deal. As I said before, I love dressing people up. Doing this for a living is the best thing I could ever do."

"Do you often work for Seto here?"

"Not really, no. I used to work for his step-father, you see, since his step-father's wife was always into fashion and make-up. I don't know how those two got together, although they weren't really opposites. Both of them were just about as ruthless as you could get. Once the two disappeared off the planet, Seto decided to keep me around. He always liked talking to me for some reason." Chuckling, she added, "I once joked with him that he thought I was sexy, and that it was the reason he was friends with me. He refused to speak to me until I apologized to him."

"Oh, so you're friends with Seto?"

"I wouldn't call it that. More like an acquaintance. Still, he's helped me out of some tight financial situations, so I figured I would lend a helping hand here and there. I do all his clothing for him, you see. He doesn't like to go shopping, so I do his shopping for him. And as for his trenchcoats, well…you're looking at the one who made them all."

"_You_ design his clothing?"

"Sort of, yes. He tells me what he wants, I make it, and he pays me. It's simply business. Don't think I'll be in your way tonight, little Miss Tea!" Tea felt a large blush rush up to her face, making Lucy burst out laughing. "Here, let me put on some make-up for you, and you'll be all done!" Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Tea waited patiently as Lucy applied heavy mascara to her eyelashes and some clear lip gloss. "There, tah-dah!"

Nodding her head, Tea said, "Thank you so much. I'm really appreciative."

"Seriously, darling, it's no trouble at all. I love doing this for a living. You always have to find what interests you the most for your future career, no matter how much or how little it pays, else you will never enjoy life. If you forget me within the following week, always remembering that little saying, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Well, you'd better head down to the main area. Mr. Kaiba told me to tell you to meet him down there. Wait until he's ready. Have fun, darling, and tell him that goes for the both of you!"

"_Where does he meet these people?_" she thought as she nodded her head once more in appreciation before grabbing her white purse and leaving the room. Heading down the hallway, she turned the corner and reached the staircase only to hear a slight gasp coming from downstairs. Looking in the direction of it, she was surprised to find Seto Kaiba leaning against the front door, staring at her with wide eyes. She had to admit that he himself was candy for the eyes; he was wearing a white tuxedo with a simple, black tie. She slowly walked down the staircase, being careful not to trip in her new heels, before reaching the bottom stair and smiling over at the CEO. "Thank you so much for this outfit," she said, noticing Seto's gaze at her.

"It's nothing," he answered, his voice cold yet his eyes still wide in surprise. "You look…very pretty."

Blushing slightly, she muttered a small 'thank you' before allowing the CEO to open the door for her. A white limo that had arrived while she had been changing was parked out front, and the chauffer opened the door for both her and Seto to enter. Sitting down on the opposite seat, she waited until Seto sat down and the chauffer shut the door tightly. "Thank you for coming to this party once again," he stated.

"It's no problem. And thank you very much for this dress."

"It's no problem," he remarked, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Driver, to the party. Now."


	18. C18 Dancing

_**Author's Note: I just wanted to warn all you guys that, starting Monday (tomorrow), I will be starting band camp that will last for two weeks. I'll be there 9-3, 6-9 every day except for Fridays, so I may not be able to update as often. I'll try to post some chapters over the weekend, but I still have summer school work to do as well. Sorry for the inconvenience. **_

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**Chapter 18 – Dancing**

The two entered the large building, and Tea could only stare in awe at her surroundings. She was suddenly happy to have such an expensive dress on; the entire room was set up in ballroom fashion. The center was wooden flooring and was used for the dancing area, while the outer edge was black, marble flooring. Tables and chairs were set up along the walls and on the outside of the dance floor, all of them black metal with glass table tops. The walls were a dark red color, and the man in charge of the party had posted several diagrams and displays of future projects along the walls for viewers to look at. The northern wall was an entire, wooden stage, complete with light red curtains and a podium. Last but not least, a black metal chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room.

"Wow…" she said in awe as she looked around at all the other guests, feeling quite out of place. Most of the women looked like fake supermodels with enhanced chests and blonde or brown hair. Their dresses showed more than what Tea would expect at a gathering, but she had never been to one before, so who was she to judge? But it was just as Seto explained it; all the men were hanging around each other, eyeing their wives and trying to show off each one's new equipment or technology.

"Try to ignore them," Seto stated, noticing her glance around the room. "If you don't talk to them, they won't talk back. Just pretend you're really shy or something. When you talk to one of these women, they don't leave you alone for the rest of the night." Tea nodded in understanding and grasped Seto's hand in hers. Looking up, she saw him smiling down at her before he asked, "Do you want to sit at one of the tables?"

"Sure." The two walked around the area to an empty table with four chairs set. Sitting down next to him, she looked once more around the room, wondering how expensive of a place it really was.

"What would you two like to drink?" a hostess asked, walking up to their table. She was wearing a black skirt and white top, and her red hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"_At least she doesn't look slutty_," Tea thought. "What do you have?"

"Mr. Kenshie has bought nearly every type of wine or beer you can think of!" the woman exclaimed as she smiled down at the two. "We also have non-alcoholic beverages, such as soda, lemonade, water—"

"I'll have a Shirley temple," Tea answered.

"And you, sir?" the hostess asked, looking over at Seto.

"I'll have a glass of red wine," he answered, not even looking up at her. She nodded her head and quickly left to get their drinks, giving Tea the perfect moment to send a glare at him. "What?" he asked, noticing her narrowed eyes.

"Red wine? Aren't you a little young to be drinking, Mr. CEO?"

"I'm eighteen, and I'm responsible," Seto explained. "Besides, I've been forced to go to these meetings for three years now. Of course I'm going to be given alcohol."

"Given? You mean people just handed it to you?"

"Yeah. Gozaburo wanted to build up my alcohol tolerance level for some stupid reason or other. I think he just wanted me to get wasted one time and make a fool of myself, but luckily I have an extremely high tolerance of the stuff. It didn't exactly work out."

Tea let out a sigh as their drinks arrived. "That's sad…"

Seto merely shrugged his shoulders as the hostess left. Taking the glass in his hands, he sipped the drink and let the slightest hint of a smile appear on his lips. "It's not like I drink often. In fact, I think I only drink when I go to these events, and even then it's only a glass or two. Nothing to get me going."

"Well that's good to hear." Tea drank a large gulp of her Shirley temple and smiled widely. "This is good."

"I hope it is." Taking another sip of his glass, he blinked in surprise and said, "Uh-oh. Here he comes. Just stay quiet, alright?"

Tea nodded her head and soon saw a man walk up to their table. "Mr. Kaiba!" he exclaimed. "Welcome, welcome! How are you doing on this fine evening?"

"I'm doing well, Mr. Kenshie," he answered, his voice its normal coldness. The man had to be at least fifty, his white hair started to recede slightly. His glasses were large and square, and he wore a dark blue business suit with a white tie. He looked more like a grandpa to Tea than a business executive. But, once again, what did she know?

"That's good to hear. I've read that KaibaCorp is still extremely lucrative. I'm glad to see that your business is still doing so well."

"As am I to hear that your business is improving," Seto replied.

"And who is this lovely lady you've brought tonight?" he asked, eyeing Tea.

"This is my good friend, Miss Gardner," Seto answered, a frown appearing on his face. Tea blinked in surprise; being referred to as a 'good friend' of Seto Kaiba wasn't something she was normally called.

"Well, I must say, she's quite a sight for the eyes," he replied. "You two are free to dance at anytime or view the posters. There will be a presentation near the end of the meeting, but now I just want the guests to settle down and get a chance to discuss with one another their business news. I hope you two enjoy the rest of the evening."

Watching him leave, Tea glanced over at Seto and quirked her eyebrow. "'Good friend'?" she asked, seeing him take another sip of the red wine.

"Would you rather I have said 'girlfriend'?" he countered, smirking over at her.

"N-No, but…still… I didn't know you considered me a good friend."

"Well, I just said 'good' because I figured he would leave you alone if I acted as though I was protective of you. At least that worked out; that man is known to be a dog. But yes, I guess I do consider you a friend."

"Am I entering your unknown circle of friends?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, first there's Jade, and then Lucy said she was an acquaintance of yours…"

Seto chuckled and shook his head slightly. "That Lucy…she is quite the character."

"I don't know where you find these people."

"She worked for my step-father, and once he disappeared, she began to have some money issues," Seto explained. "I helped her out of it, and she eventually set up her own fashion store. She still visits from time to time, though not as much as she used to."

"Who would have thought that you had such a circle of friends?" Tea mused.

"I know. It even shocks me at times. But they all are helpful, and I'm appreciative of their company."

"But I have to ask, why hide it? I mean, why go through so much trouble just to keep your friends hidden?"

"I already told you, Tea, I like being misunderstood. It makes things so much easier for me, especially when running a company. All of the people who I consider friends don't like the publicity that comes with being a celebrity's friend. So, I do them a favor as well as myself by keeping it all low-profile."

"How thoughtful of you. So why bring me along when you have all these friends?"

"First of all, there's only two, not a whole group of them out there. Second of all, I picked you because Jade doesn't like going to them, and neither does Lucy."

"I see. Well, thanks for the invitation."

Smiling, Seto leaned back in his chair and said, "Thank you for coming along."

"I don't think I've seen you smile so often in one night," she observed, looking out at the dance floor. Several couples had begun to dance to the classical music playing in the background.

"I don't, usually. Maybe I should stop hanging around you so often."

"It wasn't meant to be an insult. I was just making an observation."

"Yeah, well…I guess I should stop for now."

"Why? Seto, smiling isn't a sin. It's okay to do it."

"I guess…" Rolling her eyes at his unconvinced tone, she continued to watch the couples dance and chuckled.

"Who would have thought that, after all that arguing, you would have asked me to go with you to this convention?"

"Well, you have proven that you are intelligent individual," he stated. "Plus, I can tell you care about those kids at the orphanage. At first I was a little nervous, letting somebody new into the place, but you proved your worth there. Anybody that helps those kids out I need to be friendly towards. Not just because it keeps them around, but because I truly am grateful for their help."

"You….really care about those kids, don't you?"

"I was one of them at one time. I know what they're going through."

"And then you were adopted?" she asked, glancing over at him. She watched him close his eyes and slowly nod his head before draining the rest of his drink. Realizing she was going into a topic that he most likely didn't want to discuss, she quickly asked without thinking, "You know how to dance?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," he answered. "Not only was I forced to drink, but I had to learn how to dance with several of the other corporations' daughters. Ignorant bunch, the whole lot of them."

Chuckling, Tea jumped out of her chair and grabbed Seto's hand. "Well then, let's go!" she cried out, pulling Seto out of his chair and ignoring his protests as he was dragged onto the dance floor. Placing her hand in his and her other hand on his shoulder, she waited as Seto slowly put his hand on her hip. His eyes were wide in shock, so she smiled up at him and said, "Just relax. I don't want to be drinking Shirley temples all night, and you owe me for coming here when I don't know a clue as to what anybody will be talking about."

Seto slowly nodded his head, and the two began to move and sway to the rhythm of the music. "Don't you take dance lessons?" he asked after a moment or two of comfortable silence passed between them.

"Yeah, but not this ballroom stuff," she explained. "Mostly it's ballet and jazz that they teach me, though I do know a little tap dance as well."

"Are you going to dance school after high school is over with?"

"Hopefully, yes. If not, I'll be going to college for physical therapy or something like that."

"Interesting." She saw another smile tugging at his lips, and she playfully tugged at his cheek as if to widen the smile. He jerked his head back but couldn't hide the blush that appeared on his face. "Stop it. If others see you doing that to me, they'll think I'm easy to get to."

"Always about appearances, isn't it?" she asked, placing her hand back on his shoulder.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I guess I'll just have to save it for after the party."

He rolled his eyes at her and whispered a 'whatever' before the song changed to something a little faster. The two quickly picked up on it and began moving to the different music once again.

"You…really are good at dancing, you know?" she observed, slightly in awe at the CEO.

"Thanks…I guess."

"I wouldn't have thought you would be one to learn how to dance."

"It was part of the job description, as I said earlier."

"Yeah, but…did you ever have a practice partner?"

A frown suddenly crossed Seto's face as his lips slightly parted before pursing together. "Yeah…" he said after an awkward couple of seconds went by, his voice suddenly quiet. "Yeah, at one time, I used to dance a lot with someone else."

"An old girlfriend?" she asked, surprised at Seto's sudden demeanor.

"You…could say that," he answered. Shaking his head, he glanced up at Tea and said, "Let's just stop this conversation, alright. I don't like talking about her."

"Okay, okay…" she replied. "But can I know who this lucky girl's name is?"

"'Lucky'?"

"Not every girl gets to say they've dated the CEO of KaibaCorp, now can they?"

"No…they can't." Feeling Seto shudder, Tea suddenly stopped dancing and looked up at him with worried eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

Shaking his head once more, he looked up at Tea and let out a sigh. "Can we sit back down please?"

The fact that he said 'please' without even thinking about it made Tea take a step back slightly in fear. "S-Sure," she answered, and the two quickly walked off the dance floor and headed back to their seat. Sitting down at the table, Seto put his hand up to his forehead and let out a long sigh.

"Sorry," he said after awhile. "I just…don't like thinking about Sophie."

"Sophie?"

"The girl," he answered. "Her name was Sophie."

Tea nodded her head in understanding and placed her hand over his. "Hey, it's okay. I have ex-boyfriends that I don't like to think about either. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it."

"Thanks…" he whispered. Before either of them could say another word, they heard the sudden noise of a microphone being tapped.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" Mr. Kenshie shouted, his voice vibrating off the walls. "And welcome to the party!"


	19. C19 Sacrifices and Love

**Chapter 19 – Sacrifices and Love**

Tea sat down and listened as the driver shut the door to the limo and walked around to the front. Seto was sitting across from her, a slight dullness in his eyes hinting that he was tired. She felt the limo start up and watched as the large building began to disappear behind them before letting out a small sigh. "I'm sorry I brought you along just to sit through that presentation," Seto stated as he closed his eyes. "That must have seemed to be the most boring presentation ever to you."

"Actually it was quite interesting," Tea protested, a small smile appearing on her face. "Since I don't know much about technology, it was fun just sitting and watching all the diagrams and stuff. Besides, it totally beats those school presentations and assemblies they force us into."

Seto let out a small chuckle before shaking his head slightly and looking out the window. "If you want to just stare at diagrams, I have plenty of those around KaibaCorp. But Mr. Kenshie… It's a wonder that man's still in business. I may have to stop buying merchandise from him if that's only the farther he's going."

"What do you mean? He seemed like a nice enough guy."

"Tea, it's not about whether you're _nice_ or not. What matters is whether what you're selling will please your clients." Another chuckle escaped his lips before he added, "I'm living proof of that."

"So what you're saying is that his technology isn't pleasing you?"

"Not just that, but I already have technology that surpasses his 'newest' inventions, as I'm sure some of the other CEO's at that meeting do. He's not keeping up-to-date in the technological world, and I can tell I'm not the only client he's probably going to lose."

Tea slowly nodded her head and wondered how that man was going home tonight, not realizing that he had just lost several hundred, if not thousand, dollars in one night. It amazed her the way businessmen were. "_They're all so ruthless, only wanting to make a profit and be ahead of the game. Something Seto was taught to be early on by that step-father of his… It's amazing he still has friends like he does._"

"Seto?" she asked after awhile, seeing him raise his eyes at her. "What exactly did your step-father do to teach you to be like him?"

An awkward moment of silence passed between the two, and she could see a mixture of fear and confusion in Seto's eyes, as if he was expecting a blow from somebody twice his size, which were unaccustomed emotions in those cold, blue, demanding eyes. Tea immediately regretted asking the question, but before she could reject his answer, he asked in a small voice, "What made you ask that?"

"N-No, it's nothing," she quickly replied. "Forget I said anything. I'm sorry."

"No, but…why did you ask that?"

Sighing, Tea looked down at the floor of the limousine. "I just…thought about that businessman going home, losing all those contacts you talked about. You businessmen…you all just are doing your jobs, not caring if one loses a million dollars in one night or not. It's every man for himself in your world, basically, and unless I grew up in that type of world, I don't think I could ever get used to that. I know you were adopted, so you obviously weren't literally born into that lifestyle, but how did…how _could_ somebody change their perspectives on things like that?"

She slowly looked back up to see Seto just staring at her, his lips slightly parted, before he shook his head and looked out the window. "All you need to know is that he was an asshole, and that I never respected him for a single moment. He wanted to change me, and this is what he made me into."

"_Made_ you into? And what exactly does that mean?"

"You think I wanted to be like this?" he asked, turning to narrow his eyes at her, his voice growing cold once again. "I didn't grow up wanting to be known as the bastard in charge of KaibaCorp. That wasn't my goal in life. But no, he forced me into that position, and I knew from the moment I was adopted that it would be my inevitable fate."

"So why get adopted by someone you didn't even want to be adopted by? Why force yourself into that situation?"

"Mokuba…" Sighing slightly, Seto leaned back into the chair, his eyes scanning the ceiling. "I did everything for that kid. I gave up everything for that kid. I didn't want him rotting away in that orphanage, being picked on for the rest of his life by those idiot bullies. So I challenged Gozaburo Kaiba to a game of chess, winner take all. I won, and we were adopted. Mokuba was given a chance to be a kid and have a good childhood, and in exchange mine was taken away. That's all there was to it."

It's fascinating how so little information can mean so much. Suddenly Tea saw Seto in a new light. "_He sacrificed everything for his brother, and now he doesn't know how to be happy or sociable because he was never allowed to be_," she thought, watching as the CEO slowly closed his eyes. "_He was forced to be what everyone expected out of him, and that took away all his emotions, leaving him with what a businessman should act like. Cold, ruthless, conceited… Seto isn't that type of person at all, yet he has to be in order to survive in the world he was thrust into. Seto… you being misunderstood… I think I'm beginning to understand why…_"

"So what are you going to do when you get home?" Seto suddenly asked, interrupting Tea's thoughts and obviously wanting to put an end to the conversation. After all, Tea knew that Seto wasn't one to care what others were doing.

"_Or maybe that's the front he puts on…_" she thought before shaking her head. "Not sure. Maybe I'll start doing that project we were assigned."

"The essay on a person having one emotion?"

"Yeah."

"That's the stupidest assignment ever. There's no such thing as a person having only one particular emotion."

"But it does make sense, in a way. I mean, if I was only loved all my life, I wouldn't know how to handle rejection." Tea smirked and said, "I think you just find it stupid because it actually relates to you."

"And how does this assignment relate to me?" he asked slowly.

"No offense and all, but from what I've heard and seen, I don't think you truly understand what it means to be loved. So when you eventually find that person you will love—"

"—which I won't—"

"—I can't see you handling it very well."

"I know what love feels like, alright? Yes, my life has sucked quite a bit, but I've had good moments as well."

"Good moments…with Sophie?" Tea gasped in surprise at Seto's reaction to her name. All the color immediately drained out of his face, and a sudden, fearful frown appeared.

"No… We aren't talking about her." He took in a large breath of air and slowly exhaled it before closing his eyes shut. "You are not allowed to say her name at all, understand? I don't like remembering that relationship, and you probably shouldn't even know about it. So just forget about her, her name…forget that I even had an old girlfriend, alright?"

"Seto, what happened? I mean, seriously, I had some bad relationships, but we all move on. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay!" he protested, raising his head to glare at her. Yet Tea could see the broken down soul in those eyes, and it frightened her. "Now just drop the topic."

"Okay, okay… I'm sorry." Sighing, she watched as Seto closed his eyes and tried to calm down. She quickly moved across the limo to sit next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen against her hand and saw him glance over at her before shaking his head and closing his eyes once more, leaning back into the seat. "Hey, look, I'm really sorry," she stated.

"Just drop it Gardner." The use of her last name made her slowly take her hand back and frown. Feeling the limo be brought to a stop, Tea looked out to see her apartment complex. She watched the chauffer open the door for her and was surprised that Seto got out with her as well. "Which apartment is yours?"

"Here, I'll show you," she answered as she entered the building. Climbing up a nearby staircase, she walked down the hallway, which was nothing more than white tile and dark green walls, and knocked on the last door on the right. "Here it is. It's not much, but it's enough for me."

"I see," he answered, eyeing the door up and down before looking over at her. "Well, I thank you for coming along with me. You can keep the dress and all that jewelry, by the way. I have no use for it."

"Y-You sure?" she asked, a smirk appearing on her face. "Don't like playing dress-up every once in awhile?"

"Um, no. I'd rather not."

Tea laughed and nodded her head in understanding. Taking in a big breath of air, she made a bold move and wrapped her arms around the unprepared CEO, whose breathing stopped and body stiffened the moment she did so. "_Just as I thought. He's afraid of love, compassion…friendliness._" "Thank you for inviting me," she concluded, releasing him from her grasp and looking up into his confused eyes. "I'll hopefully see you tomorrow." Placing the key in the doorknob, she turned it and walked into her apartment, turning around and watching as the CEO walked back down the hallway and down the staircase before shutting the door.


	20. C20 Constant Thoughts

**Chapter 20 – Constant Thoughts**

Tea took her seat and let out a long sigh as she let her eyes close and slowly open. She had tried working on her essay, tried reading a book, even tried watching television (which she rarely did these days)…all in vain. She couldn't get him out of her head. Last night replayed itself over and over again inside her skull until she felt like it would burst. The dance, the conversations…everything leading up to thoughts of Seto.

"_No, I gotta focus today,_" she thought miserably, knowing what a challenge that was going to be. "_I can't keep thinking about him during school or else I'll become one of those obsessed fan-girls. But why can't I get him out of my head?! This is ridiculous! All we did was hang out for one night at a stupid convention. So why do these thoughts of him keep appearing?!_"

"Good morning class!" exclaimed Mrs. Asuka as she walked into the classroom, which had already filled. "I hope we all enjoyed our little weekend vacation."

"_Oh yeah, definitely enjoyed it,_" Tea thought sarcastically. "_Although it actually wasn't that bad. I mean, I danced with the CEO of KaibaCorp, I learned a whole lot about technology, and I learned more about Seto. It was a good idea to go along with him, even if the offer did sound kind of random. Plus I received an amazing dress that I'll probably never wear again. That's always fun._" Growling slightly, she thought, "_Stop thinking about him!_"

"Did anybody work on their essays over the weekend?" Mrs. Asuka questioned as her eyes scanned the room. Surprisingly, nearly half the class raised their hand, and Mrs. Asuka's eyebrow perked up. "Wow, I'm glad to see most of you are starting to take some initiative. For those who haven't even looked at it yet, as I'm sure there are those of you out there, just remember you only have one week remaining to get it done. It's worth a reasonable amount for your grade, so I wouldn't put it off for too long if I were you."

"_One week to get that stupid assignment done,_" Tea thought. "_That's how Seto thought about it. He believed it was the dumbest assignment ever, but I think he was rather taken aback when I compared it to him. It does make sense, though. He doesn't seem to have a very positive outlook on life, so when somebody who does comes around, I'm sure it makes him uncomfortable. Mokuba doesn't have a bad outlook on life, though, and those two seem as close as can be. Maybe—_"

"Miss Gardner, would you be so kind as to show me your assignment that was due today?" Mrs. Asuka asked, now standing next to her desk. Tea felt a blush rush up to her cheeks, completely forgetting the fact that Mrs. Asuka always checked homework first thing, as she quickly nodded her head and fished through her bag until she saw the paper and placed it on her desk. Mrs. Asuka nodded her head in approval before walking back the aisle.

"_I've got to pay attention,_" Tea repeated to herself. "_This daydreaming has to stop now. I won't get anything done if this keeps up._" Looking up to see the front of the room, Tea let out a sigh and watched as Mrs. Asuka finished going down the last row and walked up to the front of the room. Setting her clipboard down on her desk, she smiled up at the entire class.

"Well, I have some good news for those of you those thought you were going to put that essay off until the last minute," she stated, clasping her hands together in front of her. "You're not exactly going to be able to procrastinate until the last minute, for today, Wednesday, and Friday, we'll be going to the library to work on the essay!" Several groans resonated throughout the room at this news. "I want to make sure you put the most into this essay, especially since the topic is so interesting and requires much detail and attention. I figured I would be a nice teacher this week and grant you all some time to work on it. So get your things together, and we'll head off."

Tea reached down and slung her brown backpack over her shoulder before following the mob of students out the doorway, catching a glance from none other than Seto, whose cold glare dared anybody to shove him out of the way during their journey to the library. "_I wonder what he thinks of last night, if anything at all,_" she wondered as the class slowly made their way down the hallway. "_I mean, my questions about this Sophie, whoever she was, seemed to really put him on edge. I didn't realize that one person could have such an impact on another. Every time I mentioned her name, he would literally freak out. What could have happened between those two to make him think like that? Before I mentioned her name, he was insistent that he knew what it meant to be in love. Yet when I mention his old girlfriend, he flips out! What's the deal with that?_"

"_I wonder if that step-father of his had anything to do with it,_" she thought as she walked in and took a nearby seat at one of the many tables set up in the center of the large library. "_After all, his step-father seems to have taken everything fun out of his step-son. Maybe his step-father forced him out of the relationship or something? There's no point in asking him that; he'll just have a breakdown. It's so odd, though, seeing somebody that cold towards others freak out like that at somebody else's name. Would Jade know? Most likely, but she's just like Seto, keeping all those secrets…_"

"_Wait a damn second!_" she suddenly thought, placing a blank piece of paper down in front of her with the hopes of starting her essay. "_Why do I even care this much about his past? I mean, I don't want to share all my secrets with him, so why am I trying to pry his out? We're just friends, as he stated last night…friends…I'm a friend of the cold, ruthless bastard of KaibaCorp. Am I trying to be something else? Something…more?_"

Tea's eyes widened at this, and she shook her head slightly. "_No, I can't be! This is definitely not happening! We're total opposites! He can keep his secrets for all I care!_" Sighing, Tea placed her pencil down on the desk and clasped the bridge of her nose. "_That's not how I feel at all. Oh, what is going on?_" Glancing down at her paper, she thought, "_These thoughts will just have to wait. I've already been embarrassed once; I don't need another remark from the teacher about zoning out._"

Grasping her pencil firmly in her hand, Tea decided it would be best to outline the essay first. "_Okay, so I've already decided that I was going to do it on a person who was loved all their life and then suddenly faced rejection. That seems like an easy way to go about it…but then again, if I was rejected all my life and suddenly loved, there would be a lot more emotions involved, which may get me more credit for this essay. I wonder if that's the same way Seto feels…I mean, he did get really defensive about the whole concept. Grrr, that's enough thinking about him!_"

"Miss Gardner, would you like a cup of tea?" Mrs. Asuka asked, smiling down at her with a tray of small tea cups in her hand. The library was famous for allowing students to drink tea while they were there; it was supposed to make the whole reading experience more relaxing. But the smile on her teacher's face disappeared when she noticed the blank piece of paper in front of her. "Tea, are you all right? You don't seem to be doing that well."

"I'm fine, Mrs. Asuka," Tea answered. "And yes, I would like a cup of tea." "_Maybe it'll help clear these thoughts out of my head…_"

"Are you sure? You generally aren't one to put things off, yet you haven't written a single thing on your paper. You and Mr. Kaiba are the two best students in the class, but he seems to be already finishing his essay up, and you haven't even started yours yet."

"_What, so I'm suddenly being compared to a multi-billionaire who gained a corporation at age fifteen?_" she thought bitterly as she grasped the cup of tea being handed over to her. "I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Oh… Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Not really, no."

"Okay then. But if you feel worried about anything, just come and let me know. I can let you go to the guidance counselor if you feel it's necessary."

"_Yeah, talk to the guidance counselor about my love for Se…did I just think the word 'love'?!_"

"Just try to get some work done," Mrs. Asuka stated, patting her shoulder slightly before leaving to pass out the rest of the tea. Tea groaned and placed her hand up to her forehead, taking a sip of the delicious, hot tea.

"_I think I need to talk to somebody about this. If I keep thinking like this, eventually I'll have posters of that man in my room and be worshipping his every footstep. I can't keep this up. But who on Earth do I know that I can talk about men like that, especially when I don't even know how I feel about the guy? I mean, do I really love Seto, or is this just some spur of the moment type of thing? Think about it later, Tea…you have work to do!_"

Picking her pencil up once again, Tea began writing down simple notes in an outline format. "_Okay, so the person was loved all her life…Let's say she came from a wealthy family and was spoiled rotten… And then, suddenly, she meets this cute boy at a party. That would be an interesting setting. The two dance, have fun, and she decides to ask him out. He refuses, stating that the two don't know anything about each other and it would make him uncomfortable. How would she feel about that? Hurt, of course. Maybe a bit confused by the sudden change. After all, nobody ever said 'no' to her… Wow, this essay is surprisingly easy to write out. No wonder Seto's already done with it…_"

"_No, no, no! Get that name out of my head! Oh, and I was just getting into my essay too! I hate this! I need to talk to somebody about this! But who?!_" Placing her head in her hands, Tea quickly browsed through the list of names inside her skull of people she could talk to. "_None from Yugi's group, of course. The fact that I hang out with Seto would make them all cringe, except maybe Yugi himself. He might understand a friendship, but I don't think he would enjoy hearing my confused rambling on whether or not I love the guy. That Lucy girl? Would she even speak about it, or would she just be another Jade? I can't talk to any of the kids at the orphanage; they're too young to understand these kind of concepts. So who would I—_"

A wide smile suddenly appeared on Tea's face. "_Mai. She would know exactly what to do in this situation. She knows how to wrap men around her little fingers; she would know what's going on between the two of us. If any woman could read men, it's her. But I wonder if she's busy today? I'll give her a call during lunch to see if we can meet up before I go to the orphanage._"

Satisfied with this decision, Tea drained the rest of her tea in one large gulp and began to write out the rest of her essay.


	21. C21 Face It, Honey!

**Chapter 21 – Face It, Honey! **

"So what's troubling you, sweetheart?" Mai asked as she sipped her iced coffee, smiling over at her brunette friend. "You don't call me up during lunch to have a snack with me after school like that. Something's up, so what is it?"

"Um…well…" Taking a sip of her own drink, Tea let out a small sigh and let the slightest hint of a blush reach her cheeks. "I keep thinking about somebody, but I'm not sure if I should be or not."

"Thinking about somebody?" Mai repeated slowly.

"Yeah, you know… like I can't get him out of my head. All I do is think about him anymore, and to be honest it's driving me nuts."

"And who is this lucky person?"

"You aren't going to believe me if I tell you…"

"Try me, dear."

"Kaiba."

Mai blinked in surprise before smiling wickedly and leaning back in her chair. "You're thinking about Kaiba? Boy, you have your eyes set pretty high up there. What happened that made you think of him?"

"Well… Long story short, we began seeing each other more often, coincidentally or otherwise, and he eventually invited me to this party, stating that he needed somebody else to go with him for appearances, and we became kinda close."

"Close?"

"We just talked a lot about things, and I think we may have more in common than I originally thought. Besides, the fact that he was cordial with me is a sign that he obviously doesn't think of me like he used to."

"And obviously _you_ aren't thinking about _him_ the same way either."

"No; I'm thinking more about him."

"So why talk to me about it, hun? I can't solve your love problems out for you."

"But that's just the thing!" Tea exclaimed, raising her hands up in the air. "I don't know why I'm thinking so much about him! I mean, we didn't really do much together, and now I can't get the man out of my skull! It's driving me crazy!"

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down there!" Mai chuckled at Tea's outburst as she waved her hand slowly. "We all think about ones we love more than we should. It's perfectly fine."

"I don't love him!" she shouted, grabbing several people's attentions in the process. Turning around, she glared at them all, making them look the other way, before sighing and shaking her head slightly.

"Oh really?" Mai asked slyly, taking another sip of her drink.

"Really. Why would I even love him to begin with?"

"Let me ask you this; could you focus on anything today? Anything at all?"

"…No."

"Why couldn't you focus on anything? Were you thinking about someone?"

"…Yes."

"Did that someone happen to be the certain CEO we all know?"

"…Yes."

"How often have you been seeing him?"

"Maybe three or four times a week."

Mai frowned at this. "Girl, are you working for him?"

Sighing, Tea looked around before leaning forward. "If I tell you this, will you promise not to tell a single soul?"

"Of course, deary. You know I'm good with secrets. I haven't told anybody what happened with you and your previous boyfriend, now have I?"

"That's a dead secret," Tea warned, a frown appearing on her face. "Although I would rank this one up with that. Seto…"

"You call him Seto, I see."

"Whatever. Kaiba…he works at that orphanage I go to."

An awkward moment of silence passed between the two as Mai slowly leaned back in her chair. "Why does he work there?"

"He was an orphan at one time, and he feels it's his duty to help the orphans there now. You should see him, Mai! He's a totally different person! He's so nice and caring and kind and—"

"Kaiba was an orphan?"

"Yeah… He was."

"Poor guy. How did he get KaibaCorp then?"

"That's an even longer story, and one I'm not willing to share." "_Oh no… Now I'm starting to sound like Jade._"

"Okay then. So you've been seeing him quite a bit. Back to my questions. What was this party for that you two went to?"

"It was some guy he was receiving funds from or something like that. He talked about releasing the guy from his list of contacts on our way home."

"What did you all do there?"

"We talked for awhile, just about random topics. You know, school and stuff. But then I got the urge to dance since there was this huge dance floor, so I dragged him out."

"You made the CEO of KaibaCorp dance?"

"Yeah. Not like salsa or that dance club type, though. More like a ballroom style dancing."

"Did you guys kiss?"

"No!"

"You didn't have to get so defensive over it."

"I'm not. I just…"

"Did you at least hug him?"

"…Yes."

"You love him."

"No I don't!"

"Face it, honey! You love the CEO. Get over it. You and thirty-thousand other fan-girls are drooling over that man."

"I already said I'm not—"

"Tea, just accept it. You gave me all the facts needed. You've been seeing him more, you've been thinking about him more, you are finding him more appealing to you… You're in love with him. Just thinking about him more shows that. The more you think about somebody, the more you tend to care about them. If you had to drag me out here to discuss how you couldn't focus on a damn thing, you're in love with the guy."

Tea just sat there, letting her friend's words sink in. "I… But I… How could I have…"

"Now come on, don't be afraid of it. I know your last relationship didn't, uh, work out too well, but Kaiba doesn't seem like that type of person. Besides, if he's as friendly around you as you say he is, I'm sure it's not that difficult of a concept to understand. Haven't you ever heard the idea of opposites attracting to one another? You're a friendly, easy-going girl, and he's a cold, ruthless businessman. You two would actually be good for one another, I think."

"So…you think I am really in love with him?"

"From all the information you've just told me, I would say so."

"The last thing I need is a boyfriend right now…"

"Hey, I didn't say you had to ask him out! Just realize what you're feeling right now. Don't deny that you love the guy, or else it will just hurt you down the road. Keep an eye out for him, though. I can't picture Kaiba being nice to just anybody for no apparent reason."

"Are you insinuating that he actually likes me as well?"

"It's always a possibility. Did he give a reason as to why he chose you of all people to go to this party with him?"

"He has another friend at the orphanage, but he argued that she doesn't like going to the conventions."

"Did you ask _her_ if she liked going to these things or not?"

"N-No. I didn't see a reason why."

"Uh-huh. Just be on the lookout for those types of things. In fact… I think I have an idea."

"And what might that be?"

"Call Mokuba up. Ask him what he thinks about the whole situation. Does he know that you two are seeing each other like this?"

"I'm not sure. But why would I call him up and let him know I have a crush on his brother?"

"You don't have to tell him you have a crush on the guy. Just ask if Kaiba has been acting weird lately or something. If he doesn't know you two have been working together, I would tell him about it. It can't hurt to ask, dear." Glancing down at her watch, Mai let out a sigh and smiled. "Hey, I have to go. I'm lucky I got to spend this much time with you as it is." Standing up, Mai picked up her half-empty drink and patted Tea's shoulder. "I hope this love situation works out for the better, honey. You and Kaiba as a couple would be quite interesting to watch."

"Thanks," she answered sarcastically as Mai walked out of the coffee shop. She let her head hang and closed her eyes. "_How could I have fallen in love again? It has to be love; Mai's reasoning was all the more I needed. But…what am I going to do now?_"

Tea let out a long sigh and slowly stood up. "_Guess I'll see once I go to the orphanage…_" Picking her drink up, she slowly walked out of the coffee shop and in the direction of the orphanage, wondering whether Seto would make another visit today.


	22. C22 More Help

_**Author's Note: Hello again. I just wanted to thank you guys for being as patient as you have been with these chapters. This kind of schedule will continue from now on, however, as I have band at least two nights a week, plus school will be starting in another week or so. Just be aware that there probably won't be a chapter a night any longer, but I will still do my best to update ASAP. Thank you so much for your support thus far!! **_

* * *

**Chapter 22 – More Help**

"So how was the party last weekend?" Jade questioned as she set the last plate in its rightful place inside the cabinet. Closing the little door, she smiled over at Tea and leaned against the counter. "Seto told me he had invited you to go with him. He knows how I really don't like those things."

"It was actually pretty fun," Tea answered, wiping her hands on a nearby towel. "We just talked a lot and got to know each other a bit better."

"Well that's good to hear. I'm really happy you've entered his life, you know. You seem to be doing him a whole lot of good."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, he just seems a lot less…tense lately. I really want to believe he's starting to move on with his life and just getting over the past, and it's my belief also that you are, indirectly or otherwise, helping him through this."

"I'll admit we talked a little bit about his past at the party," Tea merely whispered, letting out a small sigh and sitting down in one of the metal chairs nearby. The kids were all watching television in the adjacent room, letting the two alone for some discussion time.

"What…did he say?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.

"Well, first we chatted a lot about school and him working at KaibaCorp, which inevitably led to us discussing his home life with Gozaburo. I figured that he didn't want to talk about it, so I dragged him onto the dance floor since the place was set up like a ballroom."

"You got him to actually dance?"

"Yeah. I didn't really give him a choice, to be honest. Like I said, I just dragged him out."

"And he didn't sit back down or anything? He actually danced with you?"

"Uh-huh. But, uh, he did act kinda weird at first. He became very edgy and seemed kind of…anxious, I guess is the best word for it. All he said after that was that he used to dance a lot with some old girlfriend… I think he said her name was Sophie… But he said—"

Tea stopped when she glanced up to see Jade's expression. The woman's eyes were wide as saucers, and she was gripping onto the counter so hard that her knuckles were pure white and slightly shaking. "He…mentioned Sophie?" she asked slowly, the words sounding as if they were choked out.

"Y-Yeah," Tea answered, wondering if she had said something wrong. "He only briefly mentioned her. All he said was that they used to dance a lot together and that she was an old girlfriend before we ended the conversation."

"But still… He mentioned her…" Putting a hand up to her face, Jade shook her head slightly and said, "I can't believe he actually told you her name."

"What the hell happened between those two to make everybody so upset?" Tea questioned, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "First he freaks out over it, and now you're having a heart attack! What on Earth happened to her?"

A moment of silence hung between the two before Jade looked up at her with sad eyes and frowned. "I'm sorry… I can't tell you…"

"Oh, so you're going to flip out and then say it was nothing?" Tea asked, her voice rising slightly. She was sick and tired of all the secrets. She wanted to know what was going on inside Seto's head, what made him think and act the way he did. Keeping these secrets away from her was not helping her out at all. "_If I'm going to start accepting the fact that I love him, I need to know the facts first. All these secrets are just pushing me away._"

"Please don't get angry with me," Jade pleaded, wrapping her arms around her waist. "I just…can't talk about it. I was friends with her too, you know."

"I'm not angry, I'm just frustrated. I can't get any answers at all between the two of you."

"If Seto wants to keep his past a secret, then let it be. What about you? What's your deepest, darkest secret, huh? Care to share that with Seto and me?" Tea's silence answered her. "Exactly. So let's just stay peaceful with one another and let the secrets be in the closets they belong in. We don't pry into your past; don't pry into his or mine."

Tea blinked and slowly nodded her head, letting out a long sigh. "I'm sorry. I just…"

"You want to help him. I know. I've wanted to help him out as well, yet I can't do it. I think with the impact you've had on him, you'll be able to do so. I'm…I'm happy for you two."

"You act as if we're a couple," Tea joked.

"You aren't…yet."

"And we probably never will be."

"You say that as if you're sad about that. Please tell me that you love him."

"Why do you want me to develop feelings for him?" Tea asked, feigning ignorance.

"Because I've seen how good of an impact a girlfriend is for Seto."

"Did…did you ever date him before?"

"Didn't we already go over this? No; I think of him as a little brother, not as a younger boyfriend. We have never had a relationship go beyond friendship status. Sure, we often talked about it, but we both agreed that it would most likely end the relationship on a bad note and wanted to keep it where it was. It's worked out for the both of us, and if he finds somebody, say you for example, then I'll be just as happy for him as any other friend would."

Tea smiled slightly before looking down at the nearby counter. "He's lucky to have a friend like you."

"I know, and he knows. Friends are always useful, no matter what. I don't care how high and mighty you really are; friends pick you up when you fall down. Seto's fallen down so many times I don't even know if he can tell the difference anymore, but I've always been there to help him back up. You've only become friends with him recently, and already I can see familiar patterns with you and…and Sophie. I think you two would make a good couple. But the question remains; do you, indeed, love Seto Kaiba, heartless bastard extraordinaire?"

Tea let out another long sigh before nodding her head. "Yes… I needed a friend to help me understand it all, but I think I am developing feelings for him. However," she added, looking over at Jade, "I don't need a relationship right at this moment. I'm happy being single right now, and I don't want anything serious until a little later on, or at least until I know him and his past a little more. Once I know more about his past, I think I'll be ready to accept him as my boyfriend."

"Understandable. With a past like his, I wouldn't just jump into a relationship either. But now that you have said that, I won't be answering anymore of your questions. From now on, they're yours to ask him. Got it?"

"Yeah. Got it."

"Good. As for the whole relationship between you and Seto, I can tell he thinks about you often, but it's not in the same way as I'm sure it's affecting you. He's become rather…sullen lately. Sure he's less tense, but he's also becoming very thoughtful." Smirking, she said, "Talk to Mokuba about it. He'll definitely help you out with this whole thing."

"That's what my friend told me to do."

"Alright, then you have good friends as well. Mokuba wants his brother to be happy, and if you know that kid like I do, he'll do anything to achieve it. Mokuba owes everything to his older brother, and he knows it full well. He will help you get closer to Seto, even if Seto doesn't want to get closer."

"I don't want to force Seto into anything, though. I mean, if he's uncomfortable—"

"You won't be. Trust me on that. All it takes is a little persuasion. He's, amazingly enough, a very shy person when it comes to somebody he cares about, so it wouldn't be you forcing him, but rather you helping him out of his shell, which will really help him get out of this last stage of depression he's going through."

"Speaking of which, how is his medication doing?"

"Pretty well. The side effects are all gone, so he's back to sleeping and eating normally. I'd say that—"

A sudden knock interrupted the two, and Lilith soon walked in with a small smile on her face. "The television show is over," she replied, glancing back and forth between the two. "Do you want us to go to bed now?"

"Yes; tell the others I'll be there in a second to tuck them all in," Jade ordered. Lilith nodded her head and quickly walked out of the room, leaving the two alone once more. Jade sighed and said, "Alright, your shift is over. But talk to Mokuba when you get the chance; I want to see how you two end up."

"God, why does everyone want the two of us together?" Tea asked jokingly as she stood up out of her seat and grabbed her nearby bag.

"Because the people that know you and the people that know Seto all understand that you two would be good for each other. Now get going. And this discussion never happened!"

"Got it!" she exclaimed before heading out the door, cringing as she heard a gunshot far off in the distance.


	23. C23 Do You Trust Me?

_**Author's Note: Hello again! I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for making one of my dreams come true. I have officially reached over 100 comments, all thanks to you guys and your support for me. I sincerely thank you so much for each and every comment; you guys make me want to become the writer I hope to be some day. **_

* * *

**Chapter 23 – Do You Trust Me?**

Tea frowned as she walked outside, the rain hitting her full force as she gripped her bag tightly and the handle to her umbrella even tighter. She had a medium-sized, pink umbrella that she always used for storms. After all, she never was one to enjoy storms or the rain. To her, it was as if the whole of humanity was miserable or the Earth needed to shed its tears.

As she began walking down the sidewalk, a sudden idea popped into her head. "_The park is just nearby here, and Seto told me that he was building that new orphanage close to the park. I wonder if I have time to take a peek at it. Just to see what it looks like. I'm sure I have plenty of time; I'm always at school early anyways. It shouldn't be that much of a problem._" So she took a right at the intersection and began heading towards the park.

"_I wonder what Seto has planned for this new orphanage,_" Tea mused as she walked down the now-wet sidewalk. "_That area is kind of bad where the orphanage is now located, so it's obvious as to why Seto wants to move so swiftly. He acted as though it would soon be open, but I'm sure he's paying the company who's doing everything a good amount of money for this project. After all, in his mind, I'm sure those kids are worth every penny._"

Tea smiled at the memory of the first time she saw Seto enter the orphanage, a smile on his face that radiated brightly. "_He's in such denial of what those kids do to his attitude…or maybe he just doesn't like to admit it to others? That must be it; I don't think Seto's one to be in denial. Just one to keep a lot of secrets to himself._" Tea sighed in frustration. "_What happened to that Sophie girl? I kind of understand why Seto would freak. After all, I don't like remembering my ex-boyfriend…and what he did to me._"

She involuntarily cringed at the memory as it began to enter her head. It had begun at a party, where the two eventually went back to her place. Things began getting interesting…and then… "_No. Just stop thinking about it now! So what if that happened? I've moved on, haven't I? I'm in love with Seto, so that's obviously an improvement from where I was before. It means that my heart is telling me I'm ready for something else. But is my mind telling me otherwise? Am I really ready for a relationship? Everyone keeps thinking about Seto, but what about me? Am I prepared for the sacrifices of love?_" Smiling, she slowly nodded her head and thought, "_Yes, I think I am. If I can push that memory away just like that, I'm ready for something new._"

Finally arriving at her destination, Tea blinked in surprise as she watched several men in the rain moving bricks and mud around. "_Man, he _must_ be paying them good money to be out in this storm,_" Tea thought as she felt a gust of wind push against her. "_Although it looks like they've done a lot so far. Is it two floors or just one? It looks too short to be two but too tall to be one. I guess I'll just assume for now it's two. Seto most likely wants it to be a big, comfortable place for those kids. I'm sure he's pulled out all the stops. Seto…what you mean to those kids…you're so protective of the ones you love. Will I ever be able to fit under that category? Will you ever do something this special for me? You don't have to build me an entire house, but will you ever find something to comfort me with? Will you…ever show me love?_"

Tea shook her head and chuckled. "_I'm sounding so lovesick right now. Besides, I need to get to school. I saw the building, now it's time for my feet to—_"

"And what do we have here?" a mocking voice asked, making Tea gasp and spin around to see none other than Seto Kaiba smirking at her in his school uniform, his briefcase in one hand and a black umbrella in the other. "What is Miss Gardner doing in the park when she should be fifteen minutes early to school, as always?"

"I should be asking the same thing for the Mr. Kaiba that's standing before me," she countered, a smirk appearing on her own. It had gone from an insult to a game of wits. She suddenly wondered if this was the reaction he wanted out of Joey; a playful remark, not an aggressive retort.

"I am checking up to see how my building is faring so far," he answered, quickly glancing over at the construction site before turning his gaze back to her. "And I see that it is going quite well, just as I had anticipated. Now I shall be off to school, where I'll inevitably become bored within the first ten minutes and begin doing work for KaibaCorp."

"Mind if the Miss Gardner joins you on your stroll to the school?" she asked, raising her chin slightly to give her a haughty appearance. Seto chuckled and shook his head.

"Alright, enough of this. But yes, you can walk with me if you want to." He immediately turned around and began walking in the opposite direction, and Tea quickly followed behind him.

"Can I ask why you aren't riding your limo to school when it's raining?" Tea asked as they reached the sidewalk and began heading towards the school, which was in sight down the street. "I mean, you ride the thing on beautiful days, yet you're walking when it's pouring down rain and windy. What's that all about?"

"I've always loved the rain," Seto answered as he eyed the sky for a split second. "If I didn't have to go to school, I'd probably be outside now just sitting or lying down."

"I hate the rain," Tea argued. "It's so depressing to me."

"Why is it depressing?" he asked, turning to look at her. She was surprised to see the genuine curiosity emitting from his facial expression.

"Why are you so interested?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"I'm just curious, is all. Don't I have a right to be?"

"I guess you do. Well, let's just say that some events that happened in my life…they occurred on rainy days like this one."

"Ah, I see. That's a good reason. I guess I can't blame you for that."

Tea waited for him to ask what those events were, but the question never came. "_Maybe he's making a point by not asking me about my past for me not to ask him,_" she thought as the two crossed the street. "_After all, I clearly remember the rain outside. That's why the two of us went inside in the first place. We made ourselves some hot chocolate…got cozy…_"

"Are you okay?" Seto asked, and Tea realized she had stopped walking during her thinking process.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she answered, smiling widely up at him. He obviously didn't buy it, for he walked in front of her, blocking her path, and frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a random thought is all."

"Random thoughts don't make us come to complete halts. Only bad ones do that." Chuckling, he rolled his eyes and added, "I would be one to know that."

"Even if that's the case, I don't think this is the best time to be discussing it. After all, you still have your fair share of secrets, so I think I'll just keep mine away for awhile until you share some of yours."

"Fair enough. Although I don't really care to know about your secrets anyway. They're called secrets for a reason, to keep them away from others. If you don't want others knowing about your secrets, that's fine. I have no problem with that."

"Thanks…" she mumbled, a small smile appearing on her face, replacing the fake grin that she had plastered there a moment before. She watched as he walked towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm going to be coming over to the orphanage tonight. This rain is supposed to let up, so the area shouldn't be too bad around it. I want to show you something there that I think you'll find rather interesting. Do you think you could stay later tonight?"

"Y-Yeah, I don't have anything planned afterwards," Tea answered, wondering what on Earth Seto was talking about. "Why? What's there?"

"Oh, you'll see. It's very neat, though, and I know you'd enjoy it. Just stay until we send the kids to bed, and then I'll take you there. It's just a short distance away."

"What is it? A monument?"

Seto smirked and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm bringing you to a monument dedicated to me for my talent and superiority above mankind. No, you idiot. It's just a place. You'll see when we get there. Why? Don't you trust me?"

Even though Tea didn't think it was supposed to be a trick question, she took it as one. Saying no, in her mind, meant denying her feelings towards the person now standing in front of her. A man that never smiled at society, a man who locked himself up in an office for hours on end, and the same man that flipped her world and her heart upside-down in less than twenty-four hours, was now asking if she trusted him. To say yes would be to accept her feelings and show that she respected him as a loyal friend. Was it that difficult….or that simple?

"I trust you," she answered after a moment of silence passed between the two. Seto nodded his head in understanding and turned around.

"We'd better get going, or else we might be late," he stated as he began walking forward. "I'll see you tonight at the orphanage."

"Right." Tea followed him to the school, making sure to stay behind a few steps so as not to raise suspicion, before she closed her umbrella and entered the educational building.


	24. C24 Left Behind

**Chapter 24 – Left Behind**

Seto and Tea sat outside on the swings as Jade continued to tuck the kids into bed. The moon was shining brightly in the sky, illuminating the entire city, and the stars couldn't have been more plentiful. A slight breeze went by, brushing Tea's hair slightly, as she went and tucked the strands of hair behind her ear. The two were sipping hot tea, made specially by Jade for the kids. She let out a small sigh and smiled over at the CEO, who was wearing a simple dark green t-shirt with his traditional black pants and boots. "Where did you find the time to think up of that?" Tea asked, referring to the event they had held earlier that day.

"Oh, it was nothing," Seto replied. "I remember some worker when I was going here doing that every so often. It kept us in shape and was always pretty fun."

She nodded her head and closed her eyes, the memory of that day replaying itself in its head. The two had arrived at the orphanage, and Seto began setting up the playground in a different fashion. She had helped him set it up, taking orders from him on where to place objects and set things up. Once it was completed, Seto had brought the kids out and began a huge competition on who was the most fit, a.k.a who completed all the 'events' set up as quickly as possible. Caterina had won, so Seto gave her a bag of candy, while each of the other kids got merely one piece. The smiles on their faces were absolutely priceless; they were so happy to have something different in their lives. Glancing over at Seto, Tea fully appreciated what he had done, what he obviously took some time out to plan, and realized that the heart of gold hidden under all that ice really did glow for these kids.

"_They aren't just orphans to him,_" she thought, taking a sip of her tea. "_He doesn't just feel this is his duty to do this job. He really feels and loves these kids. He's like…their older brother._"

"What did you think of the competition?" Seto asked, breaking her thought process.

"It was rather creative, to be honest. I mean, that whole hula-hoop-to-hopscotch-to-swing-set run was classic."

"I try to make it challenging for them. These kids love challenges. You can tell they really want to grow and be something bigger and better in their lives than just orphans."

"Do any of the kids know exactly what they want to be when they grow up? Every child has at least some idea of what their future career might be."

"I know Harem and Steven want to become video game creators and eventually build their own company. They already have their college picked out and everything. I think Lilith mentioned something about becoming an author, which fits her personality very well."

"Oh? Have you talked to her recently?"

"Yeah. I pulled her aside during dinner to talk to her some more. She says she's taken the initiative and began talking with the other kids. She already seems to be a bit happier."

"That's good. I'm glad she took your advice." Looking over at him, she watched as he drank the rest of his tea and let out a sigh, a frown appearing on his face.

"Yeah… I'm happy too."

Tea looked back at the building before returning her glance to Seto. "Seto…what did you want to be when you grew up? Before you were adopted?"

"What does it matter?" he asked, staring down at the ground.

"Dreams always matter, Seto, no matter how old or how new they are."

He chuckled at the comment and slowly looked over at her, a small smile forming on his face. "I always wanted to be with computers. I just…didn't think I would ever get this far."

"Is that really true?"

"Well, when I was really little and read a lot of fantasy, I wanted to be a vampire."

Tea burst out laughing at this. "Are you serious?!"

"Yeah. I wanted to be a vampire and become rich and powerful. I wanted to be on top of everything. Of course, this was when I was little and believed in all that crap. Now I know better… I know far better…"

"But you are rich and powerful, aren't you?"

"I'm not a vampire."

Tea chuckled. "Sorry for your loss. Why would you want to live for forever anyway?"

"I've always been afraid to die…well, I shouldn't say that. I _used_ to be afraid to die. Then…once I was adopted by Gozaburo…my visions and outlook on life changed. Besides, I was young back then. All kids are afraid to die; they haven't accomplished their purpose on this planet yet."

"Seto…even though you don't act it, you're young as well."

"I'm not ignorant like I used to be."

"So have you completed your purpose on this planet yet?"

An awkward silence hung over the two before he let out a heavy sigh. "I'm not even sure I've found it yet…" he whispered.

The only sound that could be heard was the water miles away, splashing against the shore. All Tea could do was stare at Seto, letting his answer sink in. "_A boy who achieved all of his goals…he became powerful, rich, on top of the world…and yet he doesn't even know why he exists…_" It was as if the barrier that the CEO held before society had crumbled, leaving a poor, confused, desperate boy in its place. Suddenly the ice had melted, the stone wall had been shattered, and what was left was a boy who didn't understand why events happened to him, events she didn't yet know.

"Were you happy at the orphanage?" Tea asked.

"Yeah. Mokuba and I always did fun things together, yet it usually got us into trouble. We always went to the spot that I want to show you and a couple of other places. I took Sophie there too…" Tea watched as he cringed and clasped the bridge of his nose.

"So Sophie went to the orphanage here?"

"Y-Yeah. We always played games or read books. I taught her how to play chess too. Mokuba and I constantly played it; I wanted to be a chess champion when I grew up. I always looked for challenging things…it makes me happy to see that these kids are just the same as I was." Smirking, he added, "Let's just hope they don't end up like me."

"What, you don't want them to become successful?"

"I don't want them to become unhappy."

"Seto…" She couldn't find anything to say. "_Riches and wealth don't buy happiness, and Seto is the prime example of that. He has everything in the world he ever wanted…and he's now admitting that he's miserable. What happened to you, Seto? How was that cheerful boy you say you were left behind? What forced you to build this barrier between yourself and the rest of the world, leaving you alone and in the dark? Seto…what caused you to become cold?_"

"Don't pity me," he warned, glaring slightly over at her. "I've made it this far in life, and I'm not backing down now. Yes, I'm still dealing with things, but I hope to be over them soon enough. Right now I just have to live life like normal and pretend it doesn't bother. Maybe one day it really won't…"

"How can you say that when you confessed you don't even know what your purpose is?"

"What about you? What's your purpose in life?"

"To live life to its fullest, and to view as much of it as possible. I want to see everything and anything. I just want to learn what's out there."

Seto's lips slightly parted at her response before they closed and formed another small smile. "Even though it sounds cheesy, I believe you when you say it. As for my purpose… I think I'm only here to take care of Mokuba."

"Seto…what about these kids here? They certainly care about you. And Jade and Mokuba and—"

"And you?" Tea stopped at his interruption and felt her eyes widen. "Don't worry about me. Put it to good use and worry about yourself."

"For such a stuck-up man, you don't really seem to think highly of yourself."

"Gozaburo beat every single bit of self-esteem out of me. I'm lucky to still be alive after everything he did to me."

"What do you mean, he _beat_ it out of you?" Tea asked, her voice turning firm and angry. She watched as Seto's eyes slowly closed and shuddered slightly.

"It's nothing."

"Oh, it's something. Now tell me."

"What do you care? Besides, it's in the past. I can't change it, and telling you won't do a thing."

"What do I care? Seto, in case you haven't noticed by me telling you hundreds of times, I do actually worry about you. I want to know what happened." She waited for a response and almost figured she wouldn't receive one when she heard his voice.

"I mean he literally beat it out of me," he answered, his voice dropping down to a mere whisper. "I… That man abused me, Tea. I remember him yelling at me, calling me worthless, stupid, ignorant, selfish…every name in the book he could find. He'd throw things at me, kick me, punch me… He did everything in his power to make me feel inferior. And for several years, I did."

Tea felt tears threatening to surface, but she quickly blinked them away. She knew he would be angry if she showed signs of pity or remorse, but…the news of this multi-billionaire being beaten…she was slowly beginning to understand. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything, so don't you dare apologize for that man. He got what was coming to him, and now he's gone."

"You can't just erase those kinds of memories though, Seto."

The two just sat in silence, letting the darkness of night swallow them whole. Seto soon stood up and began walking towards the orphanage before he stopped and looked back at her. His eyes were no longer his, it seemed, for a flood of emotions poured out of them. Sorrow, anger, rage, fear…all the emotions Tea assumed to be in line with his memories seemed to flow out of his eyes and into her soul, tearing her apart. It was almost too much to bear, especially when she was now developing feelings for this man in front of her. "I'll be right back," he said after a moment passed between the two. "I'm sure Jade's done by now. Then I'll take you to go see that place. Here… I'll take your cup inside." Tea nodded her head and handed the cup to him, feeling his hand lightly brush against hers. She blushed slightly and watched as he walked inside, hoping he hadn't noticed.

"_Seto… No wonder Jade worries about you so much. You're so far behind when it comes to realizing your own potential. You don't see what people really think of you. All because of this Gozaburo man, you think of yourself so harshly. You need to find that boy that was left behind, Seto, and gain some happiness back. Maybe…what if I helped you, Seto?_" A sudden smile appeared on her face. "_If I help you become happier, would you learn to trust me as I'm learning to trust you?_"

Hearing the door open once more, Tea looked over to see Seto walking back towards her. "She's all done with everything," he called out, waving over to her to come forward. "Let's go." Tea began to follow him around the back of the orphanage, wondering what kind of place Seto was taking her to.


	25. C25 Good Times

**Chapter 25 – Good Times**

"Where are we going?" she asked as the two quickly rounded a corner on the dirt pathway leading almost dangerously downhill. They had been walking for the past ten minutes in the pitch darkness known as night, and Tea began to worry about whether or not Seto really knew where he was going. She could hear the waves of the ocean becoming distinctly louder, yet she couldn't really see anything except Seto and what the moon permitted her.

"You'll see in a second," he answered in a strained voice, tired of her questions. "I thought you said you trusted me on this."

"I do, but…"

"Whatever. Just keep following me." Tea did as she was told as they turned another corner and began walking even more downhill.

"How did you find this place?"

"Mokuba and I always ran away from the orphanage to do things. He was always picked on by the idiots there, so I took the blame for getting him away from those kids. We used to do all sorts of adventures. The area around here used to be perfect for it, but now if those kids escape, we go batshit over their disappearance."

"Because of the mob…?"

"Yeah."

"So you've always taken the blame for things your brother did?"

"Not really. I just took the blame for this because I felt it was the right thing to do at the time. Mokuba shouldn't be punished just to get away from bratty kids. That just didn't sound right, and it still doesn't." Tea nodded her head in understanding when she suddenly felt him grasp her hand. She heard him say, "It's probably slippery here, especially from the rain earlier. Here, hold my hand." Feeling him lead her forward, he pushed away a few bushes, revealing a protruding rock, before he let her go. "Walk slowly, and you should be fine," he instructed. She nodded her head again, climbed up onto the large, jutting rock, and walked forward before letting out a large gasp in surprise.

The entire ocean seemed to be before her on this very rock, yet there was probably still about a quarter of a mile from where she was standing to the actual water. The entire 'beach', if it could be called such a thing, was full of rocks, leaving only the slightest hints of sand between them. The moon glistened above the water as it came towards to rocks, splashed against them, and then returned to the ocean from whence it came, only to repeat its cycle. Yet the rocks and water looked almost peaceful rather than violent. It was truly a magnificent sight.

"Seto, this is…beautiful," she whispered, turning around only to find the CEO absent. She blinked in surprise and turned back around only to see him walking from one rock to the other in a careful manner towards the ocean until he reached halfway. He then spun around, and she saw a small smile on his face.

"Do you like it?" he called back to her.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, carefully jumping from one rock to the other to catch up with him. The rocks weren't as slippery as she would have expected, yet she was one who would fall on a dry rock, so she wasn't taking any chances. Years of dancing lessons didn't teach her to jump rocks. Once she caught up with him, she smiled widely and said, "It's very beautiful here."

"We found the entrance there one night when we were setting off fireworks," Seto explained, now looking out at the ocean. "Sophie had gone out and bought maybe a dozen or so fireworks, and not the small ones either. We had really big ones, yet she was the only one who knew how to set them off. You could say that she was kind of a daredevil in some aspects, always trying out new things. We found this place and thought it would be the best to set them off here." Chuckling, he closed his eyes and shook his head before slowly reopening his eyes. "We got in so much trouble. The teacher almost kicked us out for that."

"I couldn't imagine why," Tea replied sarcastically. "It's a wonder you didn't kill yourselves."

"I know. But it was fun. Those were…good times."

Looking over, she watched as Seto began walking forward again, making it look as though walking on rocks was all he did in life. "Good times…" she repeated softly, letting the phrase stick in her head. "When you had friends, when you were kind, when you had fun… Seto… Are those what you consider good times?"

"We almost thought we would live here, you know?" he called back to her after he finished his way towards the sea. He was now on a large, flat rock that looked big enough to seat five people on it, and she watched him slowly sit down to face her, making sure it was dry beforehand. "There's a cave nearby that we found, and we thought we could run away and live together there. We had plans and everything set up. But then… That was when Gozaburo came along, so we couldn't exactly continue with those plans. It took a lot of persuasion to explain to Sophie why I did what I did, but I think she understood after awhile."

Tea walked forward until she reached the large rock and sat down next to him, letting her legs dangle off the side. "I wish I had adventures like that as a kid," she commented.

"Didn't you have friends you did stuff with when you were little?" he asked, turning around and letting his legs dangle off the rock as well. Never in a million years could Tea have predicted the two would be sitting here now, just talking about good pastimes as if they had been friends for years. And if anyone would have told her such a thing was going to occur, she would have laughed and easily brushed them off.

"Yeah, I had a few good friends when I was little. I only saw them every so often, though, since my parents were always arguing. I went to their houses most of the times, and we'd only play with dolls or do something like that. Nothing along the lines of adventure was included with dolls."

"I see…" Not knowing what else to say, Tea just sat silently beside Seto, letting the ocean waves cause enough noise for the two of them. It was actually quite peaceful, listening to the water crash against the rocks.

"You know, you're talking a lot about Sophie," she stated after awhile. "I'm honestly thankful since I know you don't like talking about your past at all." There was no reply, yet she didn't exactly expect one either. "Is there anything you want to ask me about my past? I mean, you've shared some of yours, so—"

"I trust that you won't tell anyone about my past," Seto interrupted, looking over at her. "For some reason, I know you wouldn't go and rat out my past to any of your friends or the press. That's why I feel okay talking to you. But don't feel as though you have to share your past just because I'm sharing a piece of mine. I'm not going to open up to you that easily."

"Sorry… I was just trying to be nice."

"You're always trying to be nice."

"It's something I'm good at."

He chuckled and said, "Yes. Yes you are."

"_And_ you're good at being nice too. You just don't show it as often."

"I don't like being nice to others."

"Then why are you being nice to me?"

He blinked several times before letting out a sigh and looking back out at the ocean. "I…I don't know," he answered. "I guess because, as I just said, I can trust you not to tell anyone else. Besides, I consider you a friend now, don't I? Aren't friends nice to each other?"

"Well, yes, but if you had more friends—"

"Don't you dare even go there tonight, Tea. I was nice enough to bring you out here, wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were. And I'm very appreciative of it. This place is stunning."

"I knew you would like it." Smirking, he asked, "It wasn't a bad decision to trust me, now was it?"

"I never thought it would be." She smiled and placed her hand on top of his, feeling it suddenly stiffen along with the rest of his body. She slowly brushed her fingers along his before setting them between his before looking him up in the eyes. "I knew I could trust you, Seto. After all, what reason would you have to lie to me?"

He eyed her suspiciously, looking down at his hand and back up at her, before he let out a sigh and looked back out at the ocean. "You said…before we left the orphanage…that dreams are always important, no matter how old or how new. I always dreamed about having friends, having a family…yet that all meant nothing to me. I'm happy to have you, along with Jade and that crazy Lucy, as friends. That's why I'm not friendly towards everyone, Tea. Friends are very important to me. They're basically family. I've learned over time not to trust others, so having a friend is often difficult for me. But…when I know that I can honestly trust someone…that's when I'm nice to them." Smiling over at her, he said, "You've proven to me that you're trustworthy, so I guess that's why I'm nice to you."

And then, there it was. The boy that was left behind at the orphanage so long ago was now staring at her, a small smile across his face. There was a sudden glint in those usually cold, demeaning, blue eyes that shunned away any and all contact. That little sparkle of hope, of trust, of care, was all that was needed. It was what the wall he built kept hidden from the general public. She realized that she was truly seeing Seto Kaiba, not as the CEO of KaibaCorp, but as a friend, a man who was friendly to those who he truly cared about and ruthless towards others, others he considered to be 'enemies'. In a split second, she had figured out Seto Kaiba's philosophy on life. Kind to the deserving, anger and rage towards the rest of the world. And even if she had known this to be his philosophy in the first place, it hadn't sunk in until just now what it honestly meant. You had to earn his kindness.

"Thank you for trusting me," she said after awhile when she felt movement underneath her hand. Looking down, she realized her hand was still on top of his, and she quickly took her hand back. He lifted his hand up and covered the one side of his face, and that was when she realized he was shaking slightly. "A-Are you okay?"

Instead of answering, he stood up and began heading back towards the pathway, hopping from one rock to the other. She brushed herself off and quickly followed him, praying that she wouldn't trip as she rushed to catch up with him. When the two finally made it back, she ran ahead of him, as he had already begun walking back up the path, until she held out her hands and blocked his path. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, looking at him with genuine concern.

"I just wanted to leave," he answered, though his tone was rather unconvincing. Realizing this, he added, "It's getting pretty late, and we have school tomorrow. I don't want to be the reason you sleep during first period."

"I don't think that's it," she stated slyly, strolling up to him before wrapping her arms around his waist. She felt him immediately stiffen but ignored it. "I think you're remembering things you don't want to share with me. Is that it?"

Letting out a defeated sigh, he placed his hands on her shoulders as if to push her away but made no such move. "What if it is?" he asked after a moment passed between the two.

"Just know that, if you ever need somebody to vent to or to tell something to, I'm here. I know you have Jade and Mokuba, but I'm here as well. Okay?"

"Are you going to become my guidance counselor now?"

"No… I just don't like seeing you upset."

"I just…want to stop remembering the past. The more we talk about it, the more I remember."

"But Seto…we only talked about what you thought were good times. What is so bad about that?"

"All the good times, Tea…they lead to bad times. I don't want to remember that part of my life. I don't want to remember…" Feeling him begin to shake, she tightened her grasp around him and placed her head on his chest.

"Shhh… It's okay, Seto. It's the past. It's done now. Isn't that your motto?"

"Wasn't it you who said you couldn't erase those kinds of memories?" Realizing she was stuck, she merely let out a sigh and nodded her head. "Now can we leave?"

"Yeah…" She slowly released her grip around his waist, and he instantly began walking back up the pathway. She followed behind him, not saying a single word, but wondering what events were playing over in the CEO's mind.

"_It doesn't matter; I've learned enough for right now. Just the fact that he took me here…that he told me about the fun times he had with Sophie… He obviously treasured this Sophie girl. Maybe something like a break-up could honestly have hurt him this badly. But I guess I'll save that for another time._" Smiling, she thought, "_I got to spend time with a man who I'm falling in love with. I had fun, and I think in the end he did too. After all, he didn't have to take me here. We both had…fun…_"

"Will tonight go under the 'good times' category?" Tea asked playfully, figuring she would get a sarcastic remark in response. Instead, she watched Seto stop dead in his tracks before turning around and tilting his head to the side.

"Perhaps…" he answered, turning back around and continuing his walk. "They generally are related to being with friends. You would know that out of anybody."

"Yes… I guess I would."

"Now come on. Let's hurry back. I don't need Jade realizing my car is still there and wondering what the hell happened to the two of us." Tea chuckled and rolled her eyes before following the CEO back to civilization, back to society… "_Where he can once again hide under a mask of anger…_"


	26. C26 Lost Sleep

**Chapter 26 – Lost Sleep**

Tea set her cup of tea down and let out a content sigh. It was only Wednesday but, because she had already finished her essay, this week in class was going to be a piece of cake for her. Most of the other students could be seen trying to get their things together since they had procrastinated until the last second (as always), so Tea was given the opportunity to sit back and watch everything happen.

Taking another sip of her tea, she smiled and closed her eyes before placing her bag on the desk and sifting through her things. Seeing her cell phone, she smirked and thought, "_I'm definitely calling Mokuba after school today. Seto Kaiba is not that nice to those he doesn't care about. He wouldn't go out of his way to show me a place like that if he didn't at least consider me a friend…which I guess he has admitted to feeling on numerous occasions. Still, I'm curious to see if it's anything more than that._"

It didn't really bother her how she now felt about the CEO. It had been quite a shocker to her system at first, yet now it seemed perfectly natural to be head over heels in love with him. She knew he had quite a past to work out, however, so she wasn't going to push it so far that it would end up backfiring on her. Still, a little hug here and a little wink there could get her far, couldn't it?

"_No…_" she suddenly thought, frowning. "_I can't think like that. I have to be above that if I'm truly going to win over his heart. I can't be like a slutty secretary going after him. I just have to be myself; he knows me well enough to know whether or not I'm full of crap. Besides, Seto's the one that would go after somebody who is real, who acts like themselves even in the face of a multi-billionaire CEO. He doesn't want somebody who will go out of her way to impress him; I should do that just being myself. After all, I haven't let on too many hints about my love for him, and yet we're becoming good friends. I just have to keep doing what I'm doing now if I hope to succeed._"

"_I wonder if Mokuba will be any help, though. I mean, he knows his brother like the back of his hand, yet Seto is definitely one to be known for his secrets. How I know that all too well… I'm sure he'll help me out with Seto if I ask him to, yet I don't want to be plotting behind Seto's back either. Grrr… Tea, just ask like your damn self! No plotting, no skanky behavior…nothing!!_"

"Is everything all right, Miss Gardner?" a familiar voice asked, making Tea look up in surprise to see Mrs. Asuka smiling down at her.

"Y-Yeah," she answered, realizing her hands were now clenched into fists.

"Do you want another cup of tea? There's extra left, and I highly doubt the kids who procrastinated like I told them not to will be drinking any more. They have enough on their minds." She chuckled at this comment, and Tea let out a sigh and nodded her head. "I must admit, I'm not surprised that you and Mr. Kaiba are the only two students who have this done already. That generally seems to be the case."

"I guess so," she replied, not really knowing what to say.

"And to think you two are the ones acting quite strangely…" she continued as she poured the tea into Tea's cup. This statement caught the young girl's attention.

"Strangely?"

"Yes. You are over here clenching and unclenching your hands, and Mr. Kaiba is dead asleep. I'm not sure—"

"He's _asleep_?" Tea questioned before frowning. "Sorry I interrupted you, but that just seems really out of character for him."

"Well, I was actually going to ask you if you could see what was wrong with him," Mrs. Asuka stated, setting the teapot down on the desk and sitting down in a nearby chair. "You are the only other student done with this essay, and I noticed how you two seem to be getting along a bit better. But it is like you say; Mr. Kaiba is never one to fall asleep during class. He looked dead tired, and since I knew he was already done, I figured it would do no harm to let him rest. Maybe you can go and see what is the matter with him?"

"_Last night…_" Tea mused as she nodded her head in agreement. Picking up her cup of tea and brown backpack, she asked, "Where is he sleeping? In the nurse's office?"

"No. He's in his usual seat in the back corner there." She turned around and pointed her finger in the direction of the desk, which was surrounded by bookshelves and kept out of sight. "Well, I have to take this tea around to the rest of the kids. I appreciate your concern for him."

Tea watched as her teacher stood back up, picked up her teapot, and began walking through the library, asking the students if they wanted anymore tea. She spun around and walked in the direction of the desk Mrs. Asuka said he was sitting in. "_Why would he be so tired?_" she wondered as she turned the corner. Sure enough, Seto was dead asleep, his arms crossed on the desk and his head resting on his forearms. His eyes were closed shut, and his mouth was slightly parted. She positioned her backpack on the edge of the desk and sat down in the chair next to Seto, not surprised that the CEO didn't seem to notice.

"_I wonder how late he stayed up last night,_" she thought as she sipped her tea again. "_I mean, we weren't out all that late, but then again, I'm sure Mr. CEO here had to go home and do some work for the company. He's known for sleeping very few hours, yet he never falls asleep during school. Did he get any sleep at all, I wonder?_"

"What do you want?" a sudden voice asked groggily, jerking her out of her thoughts. Looking over, she watched in surprise as Seto slowly closed his eyes back shut and turned his head around. "I don't want to talk to anybody right now."

"You never want to talk to anybody," she commented.

"Noted. Now go away."

"What's wrong?"

"Why do you always want to know what's wrong with me, Gardner? I'm tired. Now leave me alone."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Tea looked down at the desk, drank the rest of her tea, and said, "I only care about you, God forbid. I know that's kind of a difficult concept and all, but I was only trying to be nice."

Hearing a small chuckle, she quickly glanced over to see him turning his head back around to face her, a small smile on his face. "You're always trying to be nice," he repeated from the previous night. She smiled even though she tried not to.

"It's something I'm good at," she countered, her smile turning into a smirk.

"Yes…yes you are."

"But really, what's the matter? You never sleep during school? Problems at work or something?"

"No…nothing at the company. Everything's as fine as it usually is there."

"Well then, what's up?" she asked when he didn't continue.

"Could you seriously go away?" he questioned, glaring over at her before turning his head back around. "I already said I don't feel like talking to others right now. In fact, I was sleeping rather nicely before you came over here."

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she began to slowly move it in circles to comfort him. She could feel the tenseness in his shoulders and suddenly became worried. "It's not healthy for an eighteen-year-old to be this stressed out over something," she noted as she continued to rub his shoulder.

"Did you not hear what I just said? How about I rephrase it? I don't feel like talking to _you_ right now, so could you please leave?"

Tea immediately stopped her hand motions and took her hand back, glaring slightly at him. "Oh, so you can be totally nice to me last night when nobody was around, but now that we're in a school building, you have to become the big, bad CEO? Is that it? You can't be caught talking to one of Yugi's friends out in public; what would happen to your freakin' reputation? Fine, you obviously don't want somebody to talk to. I just figured I would be nice since you were last night, but you apparently don't want that." She quickly stood up and went to grab her backpack when she felt a hand seize her wrist. "What, now you want me to stay?" she spat back, glaring over at him to see him staring up at her. "Which is it? Nice or not?"

She watched as he slowly looked down at the desk and let his hand holding her wrist fall onto the tabletop. "I'm sorry…" he whispered after a moment passed between the two. Clasping the bridge of his nose, he said, "I just…I'm above exhausted, so right now talking to people isn't the most appealing thing. I apologize."

Taking the hint, she slowly sat back down in the seat and waited as the CEO stared at the cup of tea that Mrs. Asuka placed in front of him before taking a small sip. "So why don't you want to talk to me?" she asked in a quieter tone, now hoping that her outburst hadn't attracted much attention. She didn't need rumors spreading around school about her and Seto Kaiba being together. "_Guess I should've thought about that beforehand…_"

"Let's just say you and I won't be going back to that place anytime soon," he stated, setting the cup back down. She could see the bags under his eyes, and he placed his head in one hand, supported by his elbow resting on the table, before closing his eyes.

"Why not?" she asked, worried that her hug or holding his hand might have seriously offended him. "_See Tea? No skanky stuff!_"

"It's not your fault," he added, his smirk turning into a frown. "I just…can't go back there."

"_Sophie…_" Tea blinked as understanding slowly seeped into her mind. "You talked about her, and now you can't get her out of your head?" It was more a statement than a question, and Tea knew that the CEO knew who 'her' was.

"Something like that," he admitted, letting out another sigh.

"Is that why you couldn't get any sleep?"

"I tried to. I went to bed shortly after I arrived home since there wasn't much to do with the company, surprisingly enough. I only slept a half hour before I woke up in a fit. Fucken nightmares…" He whispered the last part and took another sip of his tea, making Tea curious.

"_Why would he have nightmares about his ex-girlfriend?_" she questioned. "_Seriously, what the hell happened between these two?_"

"After about two hours, I fell back asleep for another forty-five minutes," he continued, either oblivious to her zoning out or indifferent to it. "Then I woke up again, and I just gave up with the whole sleeping thing."

"So you're running off of an hour and a half of sleep?"

"Basically, yeah."

"Talk about unhealthy…"

"That's why I'm sleeping right now. But thanks to you, I guess that idea went to Hell."

"Sorry…"

"It's okay. I don't mind, actually." Smirking, he glanced over at her and said, "I don't want to wake up like I did last night here. That would be rather embarrassing."

"How so?"

"Tea, you've had to have had a nightmare before. You don't exactly wake up by just opening your eyes, you know?"

"Yeah…" She remembered waking up to nightmares. It was after her boyfriend left her for that whore of a woman when she began having them. Just the thought of her ex-lover with another woman nearly drove her mad. After all, the two had been dating for nearly three years. Breaking up on a note like that left its mark on her.

"Alright class, we'll be leaving shortly!" the teacher announced as she stood in the center of the room. "Begin packing your things up, and don't worry! There are still two more days left to work before this assignment is due!"

"Better get our stuff," Seto commented as he slowly rose out of his chair. "Guess I'll be sleeping next period…"

"Yeah, I guess." She watched Seto pick his bag up and look over at her, his eyes turning from angry and frustrated to a bit sad.

"Again, I apologize for telling you off like that. It's just… I'm not trying not to think about last night. I guess I figured pushing you away would help that, but…" Shaking his head, he frowned and said, "Just know it has nothing to do with you." He quickly walked around the desk and out of sight, leaving Tea alone in the corner of the library.

"_Seto… I guess the times we're sharing right now…don't go under 'good times'… After all, how could they if they only bring up past events? Dammit, why can't he just tell me what's wrong?! I could help him out!_" Hearing the bell ring, she slowly picked her bag up and left the room. "_I'm asking Mokuba about Sophie. And I'm getting an answer._"


	27. C27 It Must Be Love

**Chapter 27 – It Must Be Love**

Tea sipped the cup of root beer she held in her hand and watched as the younger Kaiba brother sat down in the opposite chair, smiled at her, and drank a sip from his own cup. Music was playing on the stereo, and Tea saw the CD case for the video game **Kingdom Hearts** lying carelessly on the glass coffee table. The room was very comforting, having a beige wooden floor and dark red walls. There were bookshelves lining most of the wall, yet a large entertainment system had been placed between two bookshelves, holding a large stereo and television set in it.

It was another strange day for Tea Gardner. First she had to help Seto from falling asleep in class, and then the best predicament ever occurred. She had lost Mokuba's number somehow (either that or she didn't type it into her phone like she originally thought), but Mokuba had ended up calling her on her way over to the orphanage, asking if she could come over. She immediately said yes and called Jade to tell her that something had come up that needed her attention. She had to give it to Jade; the girl was very understanding when it came to being the boss. Most bosses would never allow people to take off last minute, yet Jade was totally fine with it.

Now the two were sitting in the room drinking root beer, the soothing music calming Tea. After all, this was the moment she had been waiting for. Somebody that could give her some answers was sitting right across from her. "_About damn time!_" she thought as she finished the glass and set it down on the coffee table.

"So how have you been, Mokuba?" she asked, smiling over at the boy. He seemed to have grown a few inches in height since the last time she saw him, and his attire had changed somewhat. Now, instead of normal jeans and his Battle City outfit, he wore black jeans and a light blue t-shirt. His hair was still fit for the American glam metal scene, though.

"Pretty good," he answered, smiling over at her. "School has been really hectic lately. I've had so much homework over these past couple of days."

"Just wait until you get to high school," Tea stated.

"Oh, high school stuff is so easy! I always look through Seto's homework, and it seems like it's a piece of cake."

"You must have your brother's level of intelligence then."

"You don't think that stuff is hard, do you?"

"I don't think it's difficult, but it sometimes takes me awhile. I know Seto just goes through them in minutes, where sometimes the same assignment takes me an hour or so."

"Oh. Okay. But yeah, they wanted me to move up a grade, but both Seto and I agreed that it wouldn't be that good of an idea."

"Why not? Don't colleges and universities love that?"

"They do, but I'd be leaving all my friends behind plus be singled out for being the only kid who skipped a grade."

"Do you plan on taking over KaibaCorp when you get older?"

Mokuba quickly shook his head no. "You couldn't pay me enough to do what Big Brother does," he commented as he finished his drink. "I don't know how he does it."

"Well, what do you want to be?"

"I want to be a writer when I grow up. I've always loved reading, and I figured that since I've been on so many adventures with you guys, it would be easy to come up with a storyline. Besides, Seto said that I can help him come up with storylines for video games, and we could turn KaibaCorp into a pure video gaming industry. He knows that card games won't be around forever, so we decided that once they go out of style, we'll go straight to video games." Putting a finger over his mouth, he said, "But this is top-secret information, so don't tell anybody! Got it?"

"Yep!" Tea exclaimed, chuckling at the boy's antics.

"That's good. I know I can trust you with stuff, Tea." Leaning forward slightly, Mokuba let out a sigh and smiled over at her. "I heard you were working at the orphanage my brother works at. You don't know how happy I was to hear about that."

"He says you visit every so often too."

"Yeah, but I haven't been over in awhile. I told Seto I wanted to visit sometime this week, but with the stuff from school plus friends coming over, I don't think I'll be able to. I have to by next week, though."

"And why's that?"

"I haven't been there in over a month, and I'm starting to feel kind of bad about it."

"I see."

"Quick question for you… Not to change the subject, but I'm going to anyway. Do you have any classes with my big brother?"

Tea felt her eyebrows knit together in confusion at this. "Sure, we have most of our classes together. Why?"

"He didn't…fall asleep in class, did he?"

Tea blinked in surprise at the question and saw worry and a bit of sadness in the boy's eyes rather than the usual happy glow. "Um…well, he kind of did, but then I came over and accidentally woke him up. We got to talking for awhile, and—"

"So he _does_ talk to you in school!" the boy suddenly shouted, jumping up as though he just won a contest. "I knew he did, but he kept denying it over and over again. Now it all makes sense!"

"Uh…might I ask what makes sense?" Tea asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"Tea, do you like my big brother? As in like equals love?"

"Uh, well, um…" Feeling a blush immediately shoot up into her cheeks, she realized hiding it would be absolutely futile at this point. She simply nodded her head and whispered, "Yeah… I'm developing feelings for your brother."

"Whoo-hoo! I knew it!!" Mokuba suddenly burst into a sort of dance, and Tea had to hide her face to keep from laughing at the kid. He pointed at her and said, "You see, ever since Seto mentioned you working at the orphanage, he's been kinda quiet. Not his usual quiet, either. It's like that pensive quiet where you know that person is trying hard to figure something out. I thought something was going on at the company, but when he didn't stop acting like that, I realized that it was because of you working there. I think my big brother likes you but just won't admit it since he's so stubborn."

"And what makes you think that it's me he's thinking about?"

"Well… It kinda has to be a girl, the way he's been acting…"

"Which is…?"

His smile immediately vanished along with any traces of joy in his facial expression. Sitting back down in the chair, Mokuba leaned back and let out a long sigh. "Seto… If I tell you this, will you promise not to tell _anybody_? Not even my big brother?"

"Of course, Mokuba. You know you can trust me." It was ironic coming from the fact that the last time she made this kind of promise, she broke it within the same day. "_But still, this just might be the information I've been looking for. I can't let it get past me now._"

"Well, you see… Long story short, Seto met this girl named Sophie that he really liked at the orphanage," Mokuba began explaining. "They started going out, and she was really awesome. She was always doing random things and getting into trouble, but you could tell she didn't care. She just liked having fun. But then…we were adopted by Gozaburo, just Seto and me. Seto kept wanting to see Sophie, and they did for awhile…" She saw the boy shiver slightly before looking over at her. "Long story even shorter, Sophie died."

Tea felt her heart stop. "She's…dead?" "_No wonder he doesn't like discussing her…_"

"Yeah. I don't…want to think about it, but ever since Seto mentioned you working at the orphanage, he's been having these horrific nightmares about her. He's blamed her death on him ever since it happened, but whether that's true or not…" Mokuba shook his head once more before letting out a sigh. "I can tell he was thinking about a girl because he was thinking about Sophie. I don't think he wanted to fall in love ever again after the incident with Sophie."

"_Incident? Well, Seto said she was kind of like a daredevil. After all, she took fireworks and lit them up with only Mokuba and Seto's help. Is it really that surprising that a girl like that's dead now, especially when there was obviously less supervision in those days at the orphanage than there are now?_"

"That's why I'm so happy to hear that you like my big brother though!" the boy exclaimed, a smile returning to his facial features. "I think that it's as good a time as any for him to move on, yet Seto would never be one to do it on his own. If he likes somebody else, however, I think it would do him some good."

"Is that why you asked if he fell asleep during school or not? Because of these nightmares?"

"Yeah… Seto has never been one to sleep normal hours, but I could hear him last night tossing and turning like crazy. It's a wonder he didn't fall out of bed."

"Did you wake him up?"

"No. The last time I tried to wake him up, he accidentally hit me. It was only a small bruise, but he acted as though he whipped me across the room." Mokuba chuckled and rolled his eyes. "For someone who acts so coldly towards others, he sure acted nice towards me that week."

"You didn't blame him for it, did you?"

"Of course not. I know he couldn't control it. But he blamed himself, as always." Smiling over at her, he asked, "So what do you have planned to win over my brother's heart?"

"Well, I figured just acting like myself has given me his friendship, so if I just continue acting like this, then—"

"He already considers you a _friend_?" Mokuba asked, his eyes opening widely at this. "Wow, I'm way behind. Did he tell you he thought of you as a friend? When did this happen?!"

Tea chuckled. "He told me at the party he invited me over to."

Mokuba grinned widely at this. "The one where I heard you two _danced_ together at…?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Seto always danced with Sophie. That was there big thing. She wanted to be a ballroom dancer when she grew up. God only knows where she got that idea, but she was good at it." Mokuba laughed and said, "Obviously my brother is into the dancers."

Tea laughed and said, "Yes, I guess so."

"Speaking of which, do you still dance?"

"Of course."

"When do you have lessons?"

"Just whenever. I'm not part of an actual academy anymore; I joined a club where you can go and get a room to dance in by yourself for as many hours as you like. It's a pretty neat place."

"Wow, that sounds cool!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Maybe you should invite Seto to one of those…"

Tea blushed and quickly shook her head. "Oh no. I couldn't do that."

"Well, let me give you some advice. You're going to have to make the moves, not him. Seto is, surprisingly enough, way too timid to go out and flirt with a girl. You'll probably be the one asking him out on dates and that sort of thing."

"I figured just as much…"

"In fact…" Mokuba placed a finger on his chin and looked down at the floor as if pondering the problems of the world. Snapping his fingers, he smiled and said, "Why don't you hang out with him this Sunday? Are you busy that day?"

"N-No, I don't think so, but…doesn't he usually have work during the weekends?"

"Not on Sundays, no. That's our day to hang out, just the two of us. We sometimes play video games or go to the park or even hang out at the orphanage, but I want you to spend time with him."

"Mokuba, I don't want to intrude on your guys' plans!"

"Go ahead, Tea! If it means making my brother happier in the end, I'll gladly give up a day. Besides, I already know he loves me. He needs to realize he loves somebody else too!"

"Are you even so sure he loves me?"

"Yeah… With the way his nightmares are acting, it must be because he loves somebody, and I highly doubt that person is Jade. Those two are just good friends. It has to be that he loves you."

"I…see." Letting out a sigh, she smiled and said, "Fine, if your brother is okay with it, then tell him I'm free for Sunday."

"Yes!" he shouted, jumping back up out of his seat. "I'll tell him ASAP! But…now that you are here…" Standing up and walking over to the entertainment center, he tossed her a game controller, smirked, and asked, "Do you know how to play video games, Tea?"


	28. C28 Weekend Plans

**Chapter 28 – Weekend Plans**

"Man, how are you so good at this game?!" Mokuba shouted as he jumped out of his seat and glared over at Tea, who was doing her best to keep a straight face. "Geez, you must have lied to me! You _have_ to have played this game before!"

"I swear, Mokuba, I've never played this game!" Tea protested, putting her hands up to show she was guilty, a smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe I'm just that good at it?"

"Or maybe not," the boy remarked, placing his hands on his hips. "It took Seto and I a week to get as good as you are. You better not be lying to me!"

"Mokuba, I never play video games!" she insisted, now grinning widely. "You know that I barely touch a deck of cards let alone video games!"

"Hmm…I dunno. Either you're lying, or you have a secret talent for video gaming." Laughing, the boy stated, "Maybe we can hire you as one of our video game testers in the future!"

"Oh really?" she asked slyly. "And how much are those generally paid?"

"Well, I'm not real sure, but I'll bet Seto would pay extra just to see you trying it out!"

Tea rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the small chuckle inside. The boy had talked nonstop about Seto and her getting together for the past two hours while playing the games, and it was starting to honestly annoy her. "So, what do you want to do now?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Well, it's nearly 19:00 now, so Seto should be coming home soon," Mokuba stated as he sat back down in the recliner.

"Does he always come home this late?"

"Usually it's later, but because he had absolutely no sleep last night, I begged him to come home early and rest up."

"Do you just stay home alone then?"

"Nah, I'm always at a friend's house or doing something at school. Seto wanted me to get involved with as many things as possible; he said he wanted me to be a kid and hang out with friends and do stuff that he could never do."

"I'm glad to see he wants you to be happy."

"Yeah, but…sometimes I wish I could just share it with Big Brother. I mean, he didn't really have a childhood, so he doesn't understand some of the things my friends and I do."

"Well, whatever the case may be, I'm sure he's happy that you're happy."

"Who's happy about what?" a sudden voice asked, making the two spin around in their chairs to see none other than Seto Kaiba standing in the doorway.

"Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed, literally jumping back out of the chair and wrapping his arms around his brother. Tea watched as the elder Kaiba leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Mokuba as well, letting the smallest trace of a smile grace his lips before standing straight. "How was work today?"

"Ugh, I don't even want to think about," he stated as he placed the white trenchcoat he held in his hand onto the back of the chair. Setting his briefcase down on the floor, he smirked over at Tea and asked, "And what, might I be so bold as to ask, are you doing here?"

"She wanted to hang out with me!" Mokuba answered, getting onto the seat to block his brother from sitting there. Seto glared slightly at this motion; the only empty seat left was next to Tea.

"And why did she want to hang out with you?" he asked as he suspiciously eyed the two.

"Uh, well, you see…uh…" Not being able to come up with a good excuse, she looked over at Mokuba and smiled sadly.

"She came over because I wanted you two to hang out!" Mokuba stated.

"Mokuba, we see each other at school and at the orphanage. Is that not enough?" Seto was standing next to the chair Mokuba currently inhabited, obviously making a statement that he was not sitting next to Tea so easily.

"Oh, come on, Big Bro! You don't hang out with anyone except me! You should hang out with others. And besides, she rocks at video games!"

"Does she now?" he asked, perking his eyebrow up at her.

"Yeah! I think she may have even beaten your high score!"

"Yeah…right." Rolling his eyes at his brother, Seto let out a sigh and walked over to the sofa, giving up the fight to sit down in what Tea could only imagine was 'his' seat. Closing his eyes, he sat down on the sofa and smiled.

"So…what's for dinner, Seto?" Mokuba asked, grinning at the outcome of his little scheme.

"I'm not sure yet. Maybe you guys can just make leftovers. I'm not really that hungry, and—"

"—And when was the last time you ate?" the younger sibling questioned. Receiving a shrug from Seto, he sighed and said, "Exactly, so you're eating something. Tea, do you like spaghetti at all?"

"Yes, I like spaghetti."

"Okay. I can heat up some leftovers then, if that's all right with you."

"Sure. I wasn't planning on eating here anyway, so it's fine."

"I'll go heat some up right now." Winking as he stood up, he said, "Don't do anything while I'm gone, you two!"

Tea felt a slight blush creep up as Seto grunted in response to his younger brother's comment. Once Mokuba left the room, Tea let out a sigh and said, "I don't know where he gets that sort of energy."

"He keeps you on your toes," Seto remarked. "Although he's going to be angry when I don't eat all my food. I'm really not that hungry."

"Why did he ask you when the last time you ate was?"

"It's very rare when I eat a serious meal with my schedule, so Mokuba has made it his mission to make sure I eat healthy from now on. For awhile I was getting pretty skinny, so he decided to take the responsibility of my health on himself."

"Wow…that's dedication."

"Yeah, but…I don't like it when he worries about me like that. It should be the other way around."

"Hey, as long as he cares about you, right?"

"I guess…"

"So…was work really that bad?"

"It's always this bad. I'm just too tired to want to think about it right now."

"Why don't you take a nap then?"

"I…can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't, Tea. All right?"

"_What would keep him from—_" Letting out a small gasp, she whispered, "You don't want to have nightmares, do you?"

Seto glanced over at her before closing his eyes and leaning his head back on the sofa. "Yeah…something like that."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. You did nothing wrong." Tea watched as the CEO let out another sigh before chuckling. "But really…why did you come here?"

"All done!" Mokuba's voice echoed as he entered the room carrying two plates. "I heated it up as fast as I could. You guys can eat out here. I'll eat in the dining room and leave you two alone."

"Mokuba, we aren't dating," his brother stated coldly, opening his eyes to glare at the boy.

"Suuure, Seto. Whatever you think." The boy giggled as he left the room, leaving the two alone in an awkward silence. Tea shrugged as she picked up her plate and breathed in the smell of the spaghetti sauce. Taking the fork that was placed next to the plate, she smiled as she took a bite out of the spaghetti.

"Wow, this is really good," she stated, watching the CEO slump down onto the floor and begin eating his own meal. "Who made this? Your maid?"

"Thanks for thinking of me as being that lazy, but I do all the cooking around here," he answered.

"_You_ made this?"

"Is that a problem?"

"N-No, but… I could never picture you in a kitchen."

"Yeah, well… If Mokuba wants me to eat healthy, I figured it would be right to learn how to cook healthy."

"That is a good idea. I wish I knew how to cook this well."

"You don't know how to cook?"

"Just enough to get me by. I've been starting to use some new recipes, though, so I—"

"Aw, shit," Seto interrupted, suddenly standing up and walking over to the nearby doorway. "Sorry, but I forgot about my prescription. I'll be right back." He quickly ran out of the room, leaving Tea slightly stunned as to what had just happened. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued eating the spaghetti until the younger Kaiba walked in.

"Did you scare him away already?" he asked jokingly, noticing the empty space.

"No. He just went to get his prescription."

"Oh…okay. Well, ask him about Sunday. Do you like to swim?"

"Swim?" "_This boy is the most random person I think I ever met in my life._"

"Yeah, swimming. Do you like to swim?"

"It's fun, but I rarely do it."

"Well, we have a pool here, yet we never really use it. Ask Seto if he's free on Sunday and see if you two can use the pool."

"Why do you guys keep talking as if I'm on Mars?" Seto asked as he reentered the room, a bottle in his hand. "What are you guys planning?"

"I want you two to hang out, Big Brother!" Mokuba protested, watching as his brother sat back down in front of the sofa. "I think it would be awesome for you two to hang out on Sunday. After all, I know you're doing nothing, and she said she's not busy either!"

"Mokuba, you can't just force people into plans, okay?"

"But Seto--"

"But nothing, Mokuba. Besides, isn't that our day to hang out?"

"I know that, but I think it would be good if she hung out as well."

Sighing, Seto turned around to face Tea. "Are you seriously not busy on Sunday, or did you just say that to be nice?"

"I'm not doing anything this weekend, like always," she answered truthfully.

Seto turned back around to face his brother before letting out another sigh. "_Fine…_ She can hang out with us on Sunday."

"Whoopie!!" Mokuba shouted as he jumped up in the air for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. "Don't forget to bring your swimsuit, Tea! We'll get the pool all ready for you!"

"Hey, I didn't say—" But Seto sighed in defeat as his brother ran out of the room before either of the two could get a word in. Shaking his head, he opened the bottle up and placed a pill onto the glass coffee table.

"Was I supposed to say that I did have plans?" Tea asked timidly, wondering if the CEO was angry or not.

"No…it doesn't really matter. He apparently wants us to hang out more, and I don't really have a problem with it either, so as long as you're okay with it…I guess it's fine." Nodding her head in understanding, she watched as Seto quickly placed the pill in his mouth and swallowed it without any liquids or food for help. Looking back at her, he added, "Don't worry. I've taken enough pills to be able to do it without any help."

"I…see."

"Yeah…at least this is the last bottle, though. Once these are gone, I'm done with this crap."

"That's good to hear." Smiling, she raised her fork and said, "Cheers to the last bottle."

He smiled and raised his fork as well, and the two clanked their forks together before chuckling at their childish antics. "You're welcome here anytime, okay?" he stated as he went back to his food. "If you ever want to come over here to hang out with Mokuba or myself, just ask."

Smiling widely, Tea nodded her head. "_That's the closest he'll get to saying he enjoys my company,_" she thought. "_At least I know now that my presence isn't a burden anymore. Maybe I'm closer to the CEO than I really thought I was…_"


	29. C29 How Will I Tell Them?

**Chapter 29 – How Will I Tell Them?**

"Girl, you need to find the sexiest one you can lay your hands on!" Mai exclaimed as she roamed through the aisles in the store. Tea had invited her along to go shopping for a swimsuit. After all, the woman was a top model; she must know what would look good on a person. It was kind of part of her job. Besides, the girl liked to shop, and she hadn't spent any time at all with her since the two discussed Tea's crush in the café. So the two planned to go shopping Saturday, which had come faster than Tea thought it would.

"Well then you need to help me find it," Tea stated, smiling over at her friend before turning back to the rack of bikinis. Mai insisted she wore one, but Tea didn't really know if that was such a good idea. She didn't want to show up looking like a porn star to the Kaiba mansion. Not that wearing a bikini was bad, but…she just didn't know what she wanted. "_Of course my old swimsuit had to become about five sizes too small…_" Tea thought bitterly. "_I should have expected that, though. It's been years since I went swimming._"

"How about this?" Mai asked as she held up a bikini two aisles over. Looking up, Tea saw a red-and-white-striped bikini in her hand. She frowned and shook her head at it.

"No, that doesn't look very good," Tea stated. "I was looking for something that was just one color."

"Well then a bright color would be best for you," Mai replied, placing the bikini back on the rack. Tea nodded her head in agreement and continued looking at the bikinis before Mai asked, "So what did you do to get invited over to the Kaiba mansion to swim?"

"Nothing, really. I just hung out with Mokuba Wednesday, and he made it very obvious that he wants his brother and me to hang out more often. He's the one that came up with the idea for all of us to go swimming tomorrow."

"I see…" Holding up a bright red bikini with a green flower on the right breast, she asked, "How about this one?"

Tea shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm looking for something either light blue or yellow."

"You could have said that earlier, you know?" she jokingly remarked, winking at the girl.

"Sorry…"

"Are you are Kaiba friends now or what? What is your relationship status?"

"He said I'm welcome whenever at his house, so I guess I'm considered a very good friend in his eyes."

"What do you mean, you're 'welcome' whenever?"

"I can visit them whenever I feel like it."

"Wow…that's gotta be worth something. Do you think he loves you?"

"Not sure. All I know is my feelings for him."

"Which is definitely love."

Tea sighed and nodded her head. "What do you think of this?" she asked, holding up a light blue bikini with dark blue strings. The bottom had thicker straps around her hips and seemed to almost be shorts.

"That doesn't look bad," Mai answered, quickly looking it up and down. "Go try it on. I want to see what it looks like on you." Tea nodded her head and headed towards the back of the store where the changing rooms were. Finding all the stalls to be empty, she smiled and walked into one, closing the door behind her. As she began stripping out of her clothing, she heard someone else walk in. "Is Kaiba really nice to you?" Mai asked through the door.

"Yeah… I mean, he's a lot nicer than normal," Tea answered, taking her shirt and bra off and beginning to put the top on.

"That's not saying much."

"Good point."

"So Mokuba wants you two hanging out more often?"

"He seems dead set on getting us to be a couple."

"I'm glad to see there's someone pushing Kaiba on his side. You got me on yours, but it seemed like there was nobody really helping him get closer to you."

"I think Mokuba just wants him to be happy," she stated as she began pulling her shorts down to change into the bottom of the bikini.

"At least he's nice to you. That shows that you're getting somewhere. What do the others think about this new relationship?"

"Others?"

"You know, Yugi and them all."

Tea gulped and whispered, "I…I haven't told them yet."

A moment of silence passed between the two as Tea finished changing into the bikini. Opening the door, she walked out and looked at herself in the full-length mirror placed against the wall. It looked really nice on her and seemed to fit her perfectly. Turning around, she went to ask what Mai thought of it only to see Mai's shocked expression. "You haven't told them yet?" the model repeated.

Sighing, Tea said, "I don't know how they're going to take it. I know I shouldn't put it off, but I'm afraid of their reaction. Especially Joey. You know how those two constantly bicker. The fact that I'm falling for a rival could make things rather bad."

"It's better to tell them than to just let it go," Mai scolded, placing her hands on her hips. "And the bikini looks really good on you. I'd say that's the one." Tea nodded her head and walked back into the stall, preparing to change back into her clothing. "When did you plan on telling them? After you two were dating?"

"I… I don't know."

"I would tell them soon. The longer you wait, the worse the blow is."

"But how am I going to tell them that I'm love with Seto Kaiba?"

"Yugi would be okay with it, and I think Tristan would too once the initial shock rolls over. But Joey… Just don't worry about him. Tell them how you feel and hope for the best. You can't change your feelings for your friends, girl."

Sighing in frustration, she said, "I just wish they saw what I did. That way it wouldn't be so hard to have them understand my feelings."

"Hey, if it was that easy, it wouldn't be any fun."

"Fun wasn't the first word that came to mind."

"You have to remember that you've been friends with those guys for how long now? If your friendship is as strong as it should be at this point, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Like I said, once the initial shock is out of the way, I think they would be willing to accept the fact that you want a relationship with the CEO. After all, what girl doesn't?"

"You like my future husband?" Tea asked jokingly.

"Future husband, eh? You have your goals set pretty high there."

"Okay, maybe not future husband, but still—"

"Hey, I didn't say it was a bad thing. Just remember who you're dealing with here."

"So you think it will be alright?"

"I wouldn't worry that much. Tell them soon, though. If you guys start dating before you tell the others, it might be a bit more difficult."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tea stated as she walked back out of the stall wearing her normal attire, the bikini in her hand. "But let me ask you this; how am I going to bring this up in a conversation?"

"I don't know, sweetie. I would just come clean with it. You all sit together during lunch, right? Tell them then, when they're all together. I wouldn't approach each of them individually. Joey might throw a fit if Tristan and Yugi aren't there to hold him down."

"That's what I'm afraid of…"

"Listen, girl! There's nothing to worry about. You guys have all been friends for years. Just because you want to suddenly date their rival doesn't mean you're going to become their enemy. If anything, because you all are such good friends, they should be understanding of your decision. They aren't going to toss you aside because you fell in love with the CEO of KaibaCorp, alright?"

Slowly nodding her head, she smiled up at Mai and said, "Thanks. I don't know where I would be without you."

"Confused and alone. Now come on. Let's go pay for that bikini. I'm hungry, and if you're willing to go out to a fancy restaurant, I'll pay."

"Sounds good to me," Tea replied as the two walked out of the changing rooms. They strolled over to the cashier and paid for the swimsuit before leaving the store and walking through the parking lot towards Mai's silver, sleek car. Tossing the bag in the backseat, Tea entered the passenger side and slid into the front seat.

"Have you brought up the idea to Kaiba about you two hooking up?" Mai questioned as she placed the key in the ignition.

"Nope."

"I guess I could have figured that out. You just going to take this relationship slowly then?"

"Well… Seto has had a really bad past, so I don't want to push him into something he's uncomfortable with. I guess I'll just wait until I'm absolutely positive he would enjoy the relationship as much as I would."

"That's the spirit, girl. Caring for your man is the best way to grab his attention, and I think Kaiba would be the type to notice that. You aren't doing anything overly flirtatious with him, are you? I'm sure he's sick and tired of fake boobs with his reputation of being the most handsome man on this planet."

"I'm keeping it on the down-low for now."

Chuckling, Mai smirked over at her as she began pulling out of the parking lot. "Saving that for tomorrow, huh?"

Tea couldn't keep the smile from appearing on her face. "You could say that…"

"My advice for the day: protection does wonders."

"Oh, shut up!" she exclaimed, jokingly punching Mai in the arm.

"Hey, you make me crash this car, and you better hope you can score richboy! He'll be the only one who can afford to pay me back!"

Tea burst out laughing at this and rolled her eyes. "If I _score_ Seto, I'll be sure to tell you all about it."

"Oh, Kaiba, please harder!" Mai exclaimed mockingly before receiving another punch from Tea. "What? I'm sure Kaiba's good in bed. He has the body for it, that's for sure."

Tea blushed at the idea of her and Seto having sex and quickly looked out the window. "God, we're not even together yet, and already you're making fun of me for having sex with him."

"Oh, has someone been a naughty girl?"

"That's not what I meant!"

Mai laughed and said, "I know. I just like getting on your nerves."

"So I've noticed…"

"Well, you'll have to tell me how this bathing suit works out," Mai stated as she pulled out onto the main road. "I want to know how the cold and collective CEO reacts to a hot girl like you in a bathing suit."

"Hey, you said it yourself. I'm sure he's seen breasts before."

"Yeah, but he never loved those breasts before."

"Excuse me?"

Smirking, Mai stated, "I personally think he loves you. I just think he wants to hide it for awhile. He doesn't seem one to be very in tune with his emotions, so he may not even know what he's feeling, but I believe he loves you."

"Me and my breasts?"

Laughing, Mai nodded her head. "Yes, you and your breasts."

Shaking her head, Tea smiled over at her and said, "Thanks for all your help with this, Mai. I'm very appreciative of it."

"No problem. Now let's get something to eat. A model has to eat, you know?" Laughing at her own comment, Mai stepped harder on the gas pedal, sending the two flying down the street.


	30. C30 I'm Ready

**Chapter 30 – I'm Ready**

The pool was one of the most beautiful pools she had ever seen in her life. It was in the shape of a diamond with a little fountain in the center that shot water out at the swimmers from time to time. Light brown tiles were placed all around the pool and formed a little square patio that connected to the mansion. There were two diving boards on one side of the diamond, showing the separation between the shallow end and the deep end. There was also a large tree in the back near the patio, allowing a bit of shade for comfort to the three.

Tea jumped into the pool and giggled like a little girl; it had been so long since she last had gone swimming, and the bathing suit felt very comfortable. The cold water quickly hit her system, and she shivered slightly as she watched the younger Kaiba slowly step into the pool. "Geez, Tea, how did you just jump in like that?" he asked, shivering intensely just from getting his feet wet. He was wearing plain, light green trunks.

"She's not a chicken like somebody is," his brother stated, smirking over at the boy before placing his sunglasses on a nearby glass table and walking over to the edge of the pool. Seto was decked out in black trunks that had two large, red stripes down the sides, giving Tea the perfect view of his _very_ toned body. It took a lot of self-control not to drool at the sight.

She watched Mokuba stick his tongue out at his older brother before he cautiously entered the pool, placing his arms out in front of him to push him off. "There, happy?" he asked playfully, smiling at the two.

"Yes I am," Seto answered defiantly as he sat down on the edge, letting his legs dangle in the water. Sliding himself in, he walked over to the two and let out a sigh. "I can't remember the last time we went swimming like this."

"I have to ask," Tea replied as she scanned the rest of the pool. "Whose idea was it to place the fountain shooter in the center here?"

"That was all Seto's idea!" Mokuba exclaimed as Seto went to open his mouth. "He'll deny it, but it was his plan."

"Oh really?" she asked, seeing a slight blush creep up on Seto's face. "And why does he deny it?"

"Because this little brat over here wouldn't shut up about getting something for the pool," Seto stated before his brother could get another word in. "Two diving boards is obviously not enough, so I decided to play a prank on him. I bought the fountain without him knowing what it did and placed it where it is now. He was so angry that I bought it, thinking that I didn't understand what he really wanted, that he started swimming and making fun of it. So I turned the thing on and scared the living crap out of him." Chuckling, Seto said, "You should have seen his face when it shot him."

"And God forbid Seto plays a prank on anybody. That wasn't funny, though." Mokuba glared at his older brother.

"Oh, but it was."

Tea laughed at the image of Mokuba terrified of the fountain as she slowly pushed backwards and began swimming on her back. She watched as the CEO began swimming in the opposite direction around the pool. "So how long have you known how to swim?" she asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"We used to swim all the time," Seto stated after swimming a lap around the fountain. "Remember that place I showed you? There's a little beach nearby that doesn't have the rocks and stuff everywhere. We used to go and swim there from time to time."

"You showed her our secret spot?" Mokuba asked, his eyes wide at this revelation.

"Yeah, but we didn't stay long. I just showed her the area with all the rocks."

"So you've basically known how to swim all your lives?" Tea asked, looking back and forth between the two.

"Sort of. Mokuba was always afraid of the water when he was little, but he eventually grew out of it. Sophie was the one who taught me how to swim." Tea noticed Mokuba blink several times, as if in shock that his brother mentioned her name, but acted as though she saw nothing. "What about you? When did you learn how to swim?"

"Oh, well, when Mom and Dad lived together, we had a pretty decent income, so we could afford having our own pool. Dad taught me how to swim when Mom was away at work and stuff. She didn't like the idea of me swimming at such a young age. She thought that I would get reckless and drown myself."

"I don't think you would be that stupid," Seto replied. "Even a little kid knows when Death is near…"

"I guess."

"Hey Seto, I'm going to go inside real quick and get my goggles," Mokuba suddenly stated, making the two turn around to face him. Tea watched as he walked out of the pool and smiled over at them. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Alright," Seto stated as he watched his little brother run back inside. Once the screen door shut, he sighed and whispered, "Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned Sophie…"

"He just said he was getting his goggles, Seto."

"Yeah, but you could tell he was kind of uncomfortable. I know he was fond of her as well, so thinking about her…is kinda hard for him too."

"I'm sorry. But hey, that's all in the past now. Let's just enjoy today."

Seeing a genuine smile appear on the CEO's face made Tea's heart beat slightly faster. He suddenly looked entirely different, like the teenager that he truly was. He looked younger, and his eyes suddenly held a glint of light in them that she had never seen before. "Yeah, I agree. I don't feel like thinking about that right now."

She watched him dive back into the water before coming up for air, making his brown hair stick to his skin. She smirked and looked around the pool once more before glancing over at the CEO. "Hey, how about we have ourselves a race?" she asked, slowly swimming over to Seto. "One lap around the pool."

"And why would we do something like that?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Just to have fun."

He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I don't do any competition unless there's a prize."

Frowning, she stood up and folded her arms over her chest. "You're no fun…"

"Nope."

Splashing him playfully, she giggled and said, "Mr. No-Fun-CEO can't have—" A sudden splash of water hit her face, however, and cut her sentence short. Quickly wiping her eyes, she laughed as Seto went to splash her again. She dived down into the water only to come back up and splash him with as much force as she could muster. She smiled at the sight of Seto taken off guard; he blinked the water out of his eyes before smirking at her.

"Okay, now you asked for it." Taking his arm, he swung it through the water, creating a small wave that hit Tea square in the face. She, in turn, went onto her back and began kicking water in Seto's direction until she finally ran out of energy and went back to standing. Seeing no sign of him, she sighed and went to turn around when she felt a sudden splash behind her, pushing her slightly forward. She laughed as she turned around to see him walking over to the very shallow end and sitting down against the wall. Following him, she sat down next to him and let out a sigh.

"I'll take that back," she stated. "You're _kind of_ fun."

"Oh, but that can't be right," he replied sarcastically. "I'm a cold, heartless bastard, remember?"

"No you're not," she stated slowly and in a playful tone, smiling up at him. "You're a nice guy that just hides it from the rest of the world."

She watched a small smile grace his lips as he said, "Now you're understanding me. But… Tea… I have a serious question." This made her smile disappear as she parted her lips and frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?"

"What…do you think of our relationship?"

Wow, did that take her off-guard. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"What do you think of our relationship?" he repeated, looking over at her. "I mean, is it a friendship, is it just an acquaintance thing, or is it...?"

She knew what he was trying to say and let out a sigh. "It is whatever you want it to be," she answered truthfully, looking down into the water.

"Whatever I want it to be…?" he asked, and she could see his reflection in the water frowning at this. "And what does that mean?"

"It means that if you want it to be a friendship, it can be a friendship. If you want us to merely be acquaintances, then that's all it needs to be. And…if you want something more…it can be that too."

Closing her eyes, she suddenly felt a hand caress her cheek, and she looked over to see him smiling at her. "You love me, don't you Tea?"

Glancing back down at the water, she let out another sigh and said, "Well, kinda… Yes, yes I do. But I understand if you just want to be friends. I mean, you have a hectic life as it is, and I know you still have some problems you need to work out, so if you don't—" Her little speech was cut off, however, when she felt the hand caressing her cheek move down below her chin and tilted her head so that she was facing him. Before it could even register, the CEO's lips were on hers, his eyes closed.

All thoughts went out the window, and the only thing that mattered was making this moment last as long as it possibly could. It didn't even register that the two were kissing; it just felt natural. She quickly put her hands around Seto's neck, bringing the two closer together, as Seto's hands wrapped around her torso. The two stayed like this for awhile, letting their lips do all the talking, before she felt Seto back up slightly. He stared intently into her eyes as he grasped one of her hands in the water and smiled.

"I…I don't know if I'm comfortable enough for a serious commitment," Seto stated, looking down at her hand that he was holding. "I mean, I'm still trying to figure out how I fell in love with you. I just feel as though…as though I can trust you. But…if you want this to be a relationship, I have no problem with it."

She smiled widely at him and slowly nodded her head. "Only if you're ready for it."

Smirking, he looked back up at her and said, "If I wasn't ready for it, I wouldn't have kissed you. So…is this what you want?"

Instead of saying yes, she opted to leaning forward and kissing him once more, the feeling of his soft lips against hers making her feel like she could take on the world. There were so many secrets and problems behind those lips, but it didn't matter. Seto loved her, and she loved him. She wanted to show him that she truly cared about him, that not everyone in the world was out to get him. And, as she felt his lips begin fighting hers, she knew that he wanted somebody to love and care for as well.

"Uh-huh, suuuure you don't like her," a sudden voice mocked, interrupting the two's 'conversation'. Both stopped and looked up to see Mokuba smiling wickedly at them, his purple goggles covering his large eyes. "Seto, next time you say something like that, I'm not going to believe you for a second."

"Oh really?" he asked slyly, looking over at his brother before returning his gaze to Tea. "I'll grab him, and you splash him," he whispered, making her wink at him.

"What was that, Seto?" Mokuba asked. "Don't tell me you're—" Seeing his brother slowly coming forward, Mokuba grinned and quickly ran into the water, shouting, "You'll never take me alive!"

Both Tea and Seto sprinted forward, and before Mokuba could reach the deep end, Seto grabbed him around the waist and held him as still as possible. "Okay Tea, go!" he shouted, giving Tea the cue as she began violently splashing the younger boy. "See Mokuba? You tell anyone about this, and this is your punishment. Got it?"

"I…I go…Got it!" he shouted between splashes, laughing so hard that Tea was surprised he could even breath. Letting go of the small child, Seto smirked down at him and watched Mokuba scramble away. "I got it. I won't tell anyone that you two are absolutely in loooove with each other."

Tea watched Mokuba as he began swimming away from his older brother, who was panting slightly from the energy wasted on holding his energetic brother still. She walked over to him and smiled. "We'll keep this to whole thing to ourselves for now," Seto stated, grinning back over at her. "I don't want the tabloids getting any ideas or interrupting your private life." Nodding her head in agreement, the two sealed the deal with a quick kiss before going back to their swimming.

* * *

**_Author's Note: Okay, okay, I know it took a long time for these two to finally become a couple, and I'm sure most of you guys are thinking "About damn time!" Just know that I did it to make the fanfic much more realistic. I don't like those that just have the two suddenly in love with each other. This is NOT the end of this fanfic, however! After all, I wouldn't leave you guys hanging with the mystery of Sophie and so much more to come! That would just be cruel :P _**


	31. C31 It's a Secret

**Chapter 31 – It's A Secret**

Tea sat down at the table and let out a long sigh, not really sure what to expect. She had talked the details of the relationship over with Seto last night, and the two agreed that, as long as her friends were okay with it, they were the only ones allowed to know about it. She had been amazed at how concerned Seto seemed to be over it, but then again, he knew that he was on thin ice with the group, especially Joey. But, as he stated, he never expected to fall in love with the cheerleader.

And so the time for the truth had come. She suddenly wished Seto had waited a day or so to ask her out; it would have made this process so much easier. Not that she didn't enjoy his kiss…on the contrary, it made a smile appear on her face every time she thought about it…like right now.

"Hey Tea," Yugi greeted as he walked over and sat down at the table. "Joey and Tristan got here late, so they're all the way in the back of the line." Tea chuckled slightly, but she knew it came out sounding uncomfortable, making her short friend frown. "Is something wrong, Tea?"

"Nope, nothing's wrong," she answered, smiling over at him.

"Alright then. How was your weekend? I tried getting a hold of you yesterday, but either you weren't home or you were ignoring me."

Tea shook her head and asked, "Why would I ignore your calls?"

"That's what I figured. So what were you up to?"

"Um, well…" "_Might as well get this over with now,_" she thought, looking down at her lunch. "_Besides, if I tell him now, maybe he'll be able to hold Joey back easier._" "I was…hanging out with Seto."

"Seto? Kaiba? Why were you hanging out with him?"

Pursing her lips together, she glanced over at him and, seeing no anger in his eyes, whispered, "I…We… We've been hanging out for awhile now, and yesterday he…asked me out."

A moment of silence passed between the two before Yugi asked, "So…you two are a couple now?"

"Yeah…"

To her surprise, she saw a smile appear on Yugi's face. "As long as you're happy with it, then I'm happy with it. I knew he was a nice guy. It's still kind of surprising, though. When have you two been hanging out?"

"Oh, you know. After school, on the weekends…"

"Just like any other teenage couple would," Yugi observed. "Well, I'm glad to hear that he's finally found a friend…or girlfriend, I guess."

"But this is a big secret," Tea explained after taking a sip of her drink. "We talked about it last night, and we both agreed that you three are the only ones that are going to know about this. He doesn't want the public to know about it and drag me into the celebrity world."

"No problem. But, uh…how are you going to tell Joey?"

"That's why I'm telling you now. Hopefully you and Tristan have the power to hold him back."

"Oh, I don't think he'll be that angry. Just…a bit shocked."

"You sure?"

"Positive." Yugi's smile made a small one appear on Tea's face, and she nodded her head and began eating her food.

"_Maybe Mai was right. We've all been friends for so long… Perhaps I was just working myself up over nothing?_"

"Sorry it took so long," Joey apologized as the two walked over and sat down at the table. "Tristan over here forgot his book in class, and we had to run all the way back to the classroom to get it!"

"I told you already, dude, I'm sorry!" Tristan exclaimed, smiling at the two before eyeing his friend. "It's not like you have never forgotten anything in class before."

"Yeah, but I just leave it there!" Joey argued. "It'll be there the next day! Who wants to steal a textbook?"

"Oh, you would be amazed," Yugi stated. "A lot of kids say they just take books so that they don't have to worry about losing it. If one goes, they have four more in their possession."

"Way to be responsible," Tristan replied as he bit into his large sandwich. "So did you guys get your grades back for that essay yet?"

"Yep," Tea answered. "I got a 97 percent."

"Show off," Joey scolded.

"Why? What did you get? Please tell me you didn't fail that assignment!"

"No!"

"Well then?"

"I got an 83."

"That's not that bad, Joey," Yugi stated. "Geez, you made it sound like you got a 40. I got an 89. What did you get Tristan?"

"I got a 92."

"That's good," Yugi stated.

"I only asked because our teacher went on and on about how the top two grades came from your class, Tea," Tristan explained. "She said that the two highest grades were you and Kaiba."

Joey rolled his eyes at this. "Of course Moneybags got the top grade. He probably just paid the teacher to give him such amazing grades."

"Hey, even I have to admit that he's one smart guy," Tristan stated, taking another bite of his sandwich. "In fact, I'd bet he knows more about the subjects than the teachers even do."

"Yeah, Joey," Yugi agreed. "Remember when we went into that virtual world? His step-father obviously taught him rigorously in nearly every subject imaginable."

"At least he doesn't show it off," Tristan remarked. "I mean, he could be a bigger asshole than normal and go around flapping his papers in the air."

"Why are we always talking about Moneybags lately?" Joey questioned, looking around at the entire group. "It seems like every time we have a conversation, _he's _involved with it somehow. Can't we just _not_ discuss Senior Asshole already?"

"Actually…now that we _are_ talking about him…" Tea let out a sigh, she said, "I have a confession to make." The entire table became quiet, and all eyes were directed at her. Tristan and Joey looked in confusion at her; Yugi smiled and offered the bit of comfort she needed. "Kaiba… Seto and I have become good friends over the past couple of weeks, and…yesterday…we became a couple."

Tristan blinked in surprise as Joey nearly launched across the table. "What are you talking about?!" Joey exclaimed, making Tea lean back in her chair.

"Shh!" she shouted back, placing her finger over her lips. "This is a secret right now, okay? I'm only telling you guys because, as my friends, I trust you all with this information."

"But… I don't… Since when have you two been _friends_, let alone a couple?!"

"Joey, please, let her speak already!" Tristan exclaimed, pulling his friend back in his chair. Once the blonde had calmed down, he crossed his arms and glared at Tea, making her feel her stomach drop.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, looking down at her lunch. "We've been seeing each other for a couple of weeks now and became good friends. Then, when I was over at his house yesterday to swim, he asked me out. So now we're a couple… And nobody else but you three and Mokuba know about it."

Letting out a long sigh, she looked up to see Tristan smiling at her while Joey wore one the darkest looks she had ever seen on him. "Well then, I guess we can't go about calling him 'Senior Asshole' then, now can we?" Tristan mocked, turning around only to frown at the sight of Joey.

"Why didn't you tell us about this when you two were first seeing each other?" Joey asked in a cold tone.

"I… I honestly didn't really think about it," Tea answered. "I mean, I couldn't figure out whether or not we were really friends, but by the time it was cemented it was just like another friendship. And then…when I considered asking him out—"

"Whoa, whoa, who asked who out?"

"He asked me, but I was the one who said the relationship could go that far if he wanted it to."

"So you love the guy?"

"Yes…"

"And you never thought about telling us?"

"Joey, come on man!" Tristan exclaimed, his eyes wide in shock at his friend's behavior. "She told us just now, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but…shouldn't we have known about this friendship from the beginning?"

"Dude, seriously, just let it go," Tristan scolded. "She probably wasn't even sure if it would become a friendship. Kaiba isn't the most sociable person out there, so there's reason for her to be suspicious if that was the case. Personally, I'm happy for you two."

"Happy? You're _happy _about this?"

"Yes, Joey, I am! I think it's good that both she and Kaiba now have somebody for each other."

"I can't believe this…" Joey's eyes suddenly widened, and he quickly looked from Tristan over to Tea. "So that's why you were at his house when you made me apologize to him. You weren't just over there to make me apologize. You were over there to probably hang out with him, weren't you?"

Nodding her head, Tea felt her stomach do another flip. "_Everything is suddenly catching up to me…_" she thought miserably. "_God, I didn't even think I did anything wrong. It's true; I just never thought to tell these guys. And now…look at the mess I've made._"

"So let me get this straight. You became friends with Moneybags behind our backs, never once thought to tell us, and just yesterday started actually dating him?"

"Joey, for the last time, this is a secret," Tea warned, finding it her turn to glare at him. "I thought you guys would understand this. Just please don't tell a soul. He doesn't want any unnecessary attention for me."

"Probably so he can hog it all for himself…" Joey spat.

"Joey, did it not occur to you that he might actually _care_ about her if he's willing to go out with her?" Tristan questioned. "Seriously, dude, what is your problem?"

"My problem? My best friend is going out with an asshole, that's my problem!"

"He's not an asshole!" Tea exclaimed, all the pent-up frustration and anger finally releasing itself. "He's really kind and honest and caring! He just doesn't like to show it, okay?!"

Rolling his eyes, Joey stood up and grabbed his half-empty tray. "Whatever, I'm outta here." The group watched as he walked out of the cafeteria, and Tea wiped a tear that fell down her cheek away with her hand.

"Don't worry about him, Tea," Tristan instructed, looking back over at his friend. "I don't know what his deal is. Just know Yugi and I here back you up with this. After all, it's your decision."

"Thanks…thanks a lot, guys." She smiled up at the two and grabbed her lunch. "I think I'm going to go, though. I gotta get my stuff for the next class." The two nodded in understanding, and she quickly stood up and, dumping her food in the nearby trash can, walked out of the cafeteria and towards the bathroom. Finding nobody in it, she leaned up against the wall and covered her face with her hand as the tears began to fall.


	32. C32 Napping

**Chapter 32 – Napping**

Tea walked into the main lobby and spotted the two elevators in the back next to the desk up front. She slowly walked towards the front counter to see a man dressed in a tuxedo behind a computer screen looking back and forth between a stack of papers and his keyboard. He smiled up at Tea as he saw her coming forward and asked, "Hello ma'am. Do you have an appointment for today?"

"No, not really," she answered, surprised at the man's kindness. "I just need to see Se…Mr. Kaiba."

"Let me phone up and see if he is busy," he stated as he picked up the phone and began dialing numbers. "What is your name, Miss?"

"Tea."

He nodded and held the phone up to his ear, waiting for the line to go through. After a few seconds passed, the man said, "Mr. Kaiba, there is a Tea here that wants to come up and see you. Does she have permission? ... Alright, I understand." Placing the phone back in the receiver, he smiled up at her and said, "You are welcome up to Mr. Kaiba's office anytime. Use the elevator on the left; that is the only one that has the button that goes up to his floor. Top button, should read C0. Have a good day now."

"You too," Tea replied, a little thrown off but deciding to put it on hold as she strolled over to the elevator. Pressing the up button, she waited until the doors opened and walked inside the empty elevator, which was all white with glass paneling. She then tapped the button reading C0 and waited as the doors closed, feeling the elevator begin its ascension. "_I expected some whore to be working behind the counter, not a gentleman,_" Tea thought as she leaned against the wall. "_I guess Seto really makes this place look professional, even if it is a gaming corporation._"

The elevator soon came to a halt, and the doors opened to reveal a hallway with black tile flooring and white walls. Two wooden double doors at the end could be seen along with a little nameplate reading _Mr. Seto Kaiba, CEO_ in cursive. She walked up to the double doors and knocked twice before hearing a muffled "Come in," escape. Opening the door, she tip-toed in and closed it behind her, hoping she wasn't interrupting anything.

"Hey there," she said as she looked up to see a full view of Seto's office. It had the same black tile floor and white walls, and a large television screen was hanging on the far right wall along with two white, leather couches facing it. Two glass desks were in the back forming a sort of corner, each with its own advanced computer sitting on it, and were accompanied with a black, leather, office chair behind them. A wooden table was set up along the left wall holding a printer and several stacks of blank, white paper. The rest was used as bookshelves. "This is a really nice place," she commented, looking around before her eyes landed on the CEO, who was sitting on one of the couches and sipping a cup of something.

"Thanks…" he whispered, setting the cup down on the black coffee table. "Mokuba comes here often, so I tried to make it like the office at home so that he doesn't get distracted."

"I see," she replied as she walked over and sat down next to him. "You shocked me today, though. Your receptionist seemed like quite the gentleman."

"I made sure to hire someone who not only does work, but acts professional and kind," Seto explained. "You see all these sluts behind counters these days, and there is no respect for them at all."

Nodding in agreement, she leaned forward to see what he was drinking. "What did you make? It doesn't look like coffee..."

"Soda," Seto answered. "You interrupted my nap, so I'm trying to wake up."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, quickly looking over at him. "I'm sorry. If I had known you were napping, I wouldn't have—"

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted, smiling faintly over at her. "Nobody knew I was taking a nap. Nothing to worry about."

"Any reason for the sudden occasion? I mean, you aren't known for taking naps during the day."

"Just a bad night last night," he answered, leaning forward and grabbing the cup to take another sip. "I hardly got any sleep, so instead I did some work. I decided it would be a good plan to take a quick nap when I got here."

"Wow…. Anything I can help with?"

"Not really." A sudden thought seemed to strike him, for his eyebrows knit together slightly, and he asked, "Aren't you supposed to be at the orphanage right now?"

Smirking, she answered, "Well, since _somebody_ had to go and tell her about it, I—"

"Whoa, whoa, _I_ did not tell her," Seto interrupted, a playful smile tugging his lips. "Mokuba did."

"Oh did he now?"

"Yes, he did."

"Well, anyways, she said I could take every other day off to spend time with you."

"Isn't she so nice?" he asked sarcastically as he took another sip of his soda. Groaning, he placed a hand on his forehead and let out a sigh.

"Does your head hurt?" Tea asked.

"Naturally. I always seem to have a headache. But I have to ask… What the hell did you exactly tell your friends?"

Tea's mouth parted slightly in shock, remembering the scene in the cafeteria. Finding the glass table suddenly interesting, she glanced over at it, and whispered, "I…I told them all about our relationship and how we have been seeing each other for the past couple of weeks. I didn't mention where or how it began; I just said you and I became good friends and that, after some consideration, we decided we could form a closer connection. But…Joey… He totally freaked out on me."

"Yeah, no kidding," Seto replied as he set the cup down and stood up off the couch. Walking over to the desk, he pressed a button on his phone, and a sudden voice came on, stating that one old message was saved. Pressing another button, Tea listened to the familiar voice of Joey.

"Yo, Kaiba, I don't know what the fuck you did to Tea, but you better get away from her right now! I couldn't believe what I heard today! Who in the world would love a guy like you, Moneybags? You're never nice to any of us, and I'm sick and tired of dealing with your attitude. If I find out you hurt Tea in _any_ way, shape, or form, I swear to God I'll make sure to rip your fucking throat out, you got it!?"

Hearing the click signaling the message was done, Tea just sat in shock for a few seconds before rolling her eyes. "I can't believe him… I'll talk to him tomorrow about it. There's no need for him to be yelling at you like that."

"Alright…and…Tea?" She looked over to see Seto staring at her, his eyes filled with an unknown sadness, as his lips parted slightly, indicating he was almost at a loss for words. "I…I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Smiling, she stood up and walked over to him before wrapping her arms around his waist. "I know you won't," she replied, feeling his arms slowly wrap around her. "I trust you, Seto. I'll discuss this with Joey tomorrow and tell him to either accept us or leave us. I don't really care at this point."

"You'd throw away a friend that you've had for years just to be with me?" he asked skeptically as he let his hand begin playing with her hair.

"Seto, he's not a friend if he doesn't accept some of the choices I make in life. That's the way I have to look at it. Sure it hurts; I've never known Joey to act like this. But…if worst comes to worst…"

Hearing the CEO groan again, she looked up to see a pained expression on his face. "You'd better lay down," she instructed, unwrapping her arms and watching as he slowly nodded his head and walked back over to the couch. Lying down, he let out a sigh and placed a hand on his forehead.

"I'm sorry about this," he stated as she followed him and sat down in front of the couch so that the two were eye-level with one another. "I just…"

"Hey, it's okay. Seriously, though, how much sleep did you get last night?"

"Maybe forty minutes at the most."

"_Forty minutes_?" she asked in horror. "That's it?!"

"Yeah… I know, I know, it's unhealthy. But… Like I said, it was just a really bad night."

"Seto…"

"Don't worry about it; that's why I'm trying to get some sleep now. I'll take a nap, do some work, and then head home. I'll be fine by tomorrow."

"Promise?"

He slowly turned his head around to face her, a small smile forming on his face. "Promise," he whispered back.

"What caused it to be such a bad night?" she questioned, already knowing the answer but wanting to see what Seto said.

"Just a nightmare…"

"_Just_ a nightmare?" Tea repeated. "_Just_ a nightmare doesn't mean forty minutes of sleep at the most."

"No… It doesn't. I'm telling the truth, though. Some nightmares are just…darker than others."

Deciding to let the matter drop, she cupped the side of his face and smiled. "Hey, I'll be here to scare away all those nightmares, alright? That way you can sleep better."

Seto chuckled at this and turned his head back towards the ceiling. "I'm sure you will…"

"How did you make it through the day on only forty minutes of sleep, though?"

"I didn't. I'm surprised you didn't see me. I was sleeping all morning, but then I woke up with a start. Luckily we were in the library again today, so nobody saw me freak out. I just chose to read a book after that."

"You freaked out?"

"Yeah…" He shivered slightly, as those a sudden breeze had blown through the room, leaving Tea nervous.

"Is there seriously anything I can do for you?"

"No, Tea… Just get your mutt friend off my back for me, okay?" Chuckling, Tea nodded her head in agreement and went to stand up when she felt Seto grasp her hand. Looking down at him, she saw him staring back up at her. "Hey, I know I'm going to be napping for a little bit, but could you stay up here for awhile? It will make them think I'm actually doing work if somebody is here with me."

"Oh, am I now being used to cover up your laziness?" she asked jokingly, receiving a smirk from her boyfriend.

"Sure, why not?" he remarked. "You can watch the television if you want to. The remotes are over there on the shelf. If you stay, maybe I'll take you out to dinner."

"Oooh, the CEO of KaibaCorp going out to eat! What an exciting adventure that sounds like!"

"Oh, but it is," he replied. "After all, nobody knows that it's me."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Come on, Tea. Do you think I wear this attire when I go out to public places? It draws way too much publicity. I usually wear the same clothes that I wear to the orphanage when I go out to eat."

"I see…"

"So will you stay?"

Pretending to think about it for a moment, she shrugged her shoulders and said in an exasperated tone, "I _guess_ I could, but just for you…" That small smile returned to the CEO's lips as she grabbed the remote controller and began flipping through the channels. Once she had gone through nearly all of them, she asked, "Hey Seto, what channel is—" But as she turned around, she saw her boyfriend's chest slowly rising and falling, the smile wiped clean off his face. He was already fast asleep.


	33. C33 Kaiba Humor

**Chapter 33 – Kaiba Humor**

Tea sat down in the booth next to Seto and smiled as the waitress brought them three menus. "Is there anything I can get you ladies and gentlemen to drink tonight?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"Coke," Mokuba stated.

"Same here," Tea replied.

"And for you, sir?" she asked, looking back at Seto.

"I'll just have water."

"Okay, I'll bring those right out." She soon walked away, leaving the three alone at the table. The restaurant was very stylish; there were maroon walls and white-and-black-checkered flooring. Red lights were hung up, and some rock music could be heard in the background. A glass wall showed the bar in the adjacent room. Seto smirked over at Tea.

"See what a little bit of change does?" he asked, indicating his attire. Both Mokuba and he had changed before leaving KaibaCorp to go out to eat. Seto was wearing a dark green, long-sleeve shirt and his traditional black pants and boots along with two necklaces, one of a dragon and the other one of a mage casting a spell. Mokuba wore a black beanie hat, light blue hoodie, and black shorts with black sneakers. She was surprised at how much it really changed them; they looked like they were truly their own ages, like they were just a pair of nerdy friends.

"Yeah, but it gets annoying after awhile," Mokuba stated, looking up at the two. "It's just stupid that we have to dress up to go out to eat like normal people."

"At least you guys can make it fun," Tea commented as she browsed through the menu. "You can basically dress up however you want to."

Mokuba chuckled at this. "Yeah, one time Seto was in a reaaally sarcastic mood, so we both dressed up as Goths and entered this really fancy diner. You should have seen the look on the peoples' faces."

Glancing over at the CEO, she saw a smile tugging at his lips. "Aren't you supposed to be the responsible one?" she asked in a mocking tone.

"Hey, I was pissed off that day," Seto argued.

"As if that's different from any other day."

"Good point."

Their drinks soon came, and the waitress quickly took down their orders. Each one of them got a different steak, but they all got a side salad and baked potato for their sides (1). The waitress took their menus and left, leaving them alone once more. Seto quickly took a capsule out of his pocket and poured out a pill before quickly swallowing it and drinking a gulp of his drink. "Two more, and I'm done."

Mokuba smiled widely at this. "Good. You seem to have been doing pretty well on the whole. Sure, sleeping has been difficult, but…"

Shrugging his shoulders, Seto said, "That's just something that will take me personally getting over. Medication can only do so much."

"We should do something in celebration of your last…prescription," Mokuba stated, eyeing the two.

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Just…something."

"We'll see, Mokuba."

"Oh, and can I tag along this week sometime to go to the orphanage?"

Seto blinked at this. "Sure, why not? What day do you want to go? I was planning on going tomorrow and Friday."

"I'll go Friday. I already have plans tomorrow."

Tea chuckled, receiving looks from both the brothers. "What's so funny?" Seto questioned.

"You two. You sound like a parent and son right now. I never listened to you guys just have a normal conversation before. It's just…amusing."

Mokuba chuckled as Seto rolled his eyes. "Big Brother _is_ the greatest Daddy in the whole, wide world, ya know?" Getting the joke, Tea blushed incredibly while Seto nearly choked on his drink, making Mokuba burst out laughing.

"Mokuba, is this how you're going to be all the time?" Seto asked, glaring at his brother.

"Yep! And you're gonna like it, too!"

"Um, no. I don't think so on that one."

"Seto and Tea, aww, what an amazing wedding it's going to be! And then there will be the cute, little baby, and then—"

Before Seto could reach across the table and strangle his younger sibling, the waitress came back bearing three salads and placed them all in front of their respective owners. Asking if there was anything else they needed and receiving a curt no, she soon left. Tea was still laughing at Mokuba's antics as the two soon began eating their salads. "I'm just happy you two are together, Seto," Mokuba stated, the humor in his voice now gone.

"I'm sure you are," he remarked as he took another bite of his salad.

"Aren't you happy to have somebody, Big Bro?"

Smiling faintly, he eyed Tea before saying, "I guess so."

"Oh, come on, Seto! Admit it that you love her!"

Instead of saying yes, she watched out of the concern of her eye as he leaned over and planted a small kiss on her cheek before returning to his meal, making the blush even more noticeable. "There, happy?" he asked. She turned to see a genuine smile across his lips.

Mokuba grinned widely and nodded his head before finishing off his salad. The grin morphed from a small smile to a frown as he asked, "So, Seto… Did you fall asleep again in school?"

Tea stopped eating and turned to see Seto eat the last bite of his salad before letting out a small sigh. He had had another nightmare during his nap, but Tea had awoken him before things got out of hand. He had not been tossing and turning like the times she had heard about, but the pained expression on her face was enough for her to wake him up. Asking her not to tell Mokuba, he now made her wonder what he was going to say. "_He never spoke about school…only about the incident this afternoon. Man, if I hadn't seen it firsthand… I probably never would have understood._" It was almost scary how one pained expression made a person so uncomfortable. She could tell that whatever he had been dreaming of, it troubled him greatly.

"Yes… I'm afraid so," Seto stated, ending the awkward silence that had fallen over the table. Mokuba let out a long sigh and shook his head slightly.

"Maybe you should get something for—"

"I am _not _getting another form of medication, Mokuba," Seto interrupted in almost a scornful manner.

"But Seto…this is just as unhealthy for you as depression is. Don't you at least want to talk to the doctor about it?"

"Not particularly. You know how I don't trust doctors."

"But they've done their jobs thus far, and I think you should at least discuss this with them. Don't get me wrong, Big Bro; I don't want you taking any more medication either. You have to at least ask them if there's something you can do about it, though. You can't just run on an hour of sleep a day for forever."

Watching as the truth sank into the elder Kaiba, Tea looked at the two before asking, "When is your next appointment?"

"Wednesday," Seto answered. "Two days from now."

"It can't really hurt to ask them about it," Tea agreed.

"Yeah, exactly!" Mokuba exclaimed. "Maybe all you need is for Tea to hug you every night!"

"Mokuba—" Seto hissed in a warning tone but was interrupted by the waitress bringing them their meals.

"Sorry these took a bit longer than expected," she stated as she set the three plates down. "Is there anything else I can get for any of you, or are you all set?"

"May I have more Coke?" Mokuba asked, holding his glass up.

"Sure," she answered, grasping onto his drink. "Anything for anyone else?" Both Tea and Seto shook their heads, and the waitress left to refill the younger Kaiba's drink.

"Seto, please just ask them if there's something you can do about these nightmares," Mokuba pleaded, all happiness gone from his voice.

Seto sighed and slowly nodded his head. "Fine, whatever."

"Good. After all, who knows? Maybe all you need _is_ somebody like Tea around." Blinking in surprise, Tea began to eat her steak and looked over to see Seto slowly starting to eat his. The waitress brought back a full cup of Coke before leaving to tend to a new party. "Speaking of which, where exactly do you live, Tea?"

"Just in a small apartment," she answered. "I moved out of my mom's house about a year ago."

"Wow. That must have been hard."

"Not really. The only big problem is the money."

"Do you like it there?"

"It's a decent place, but it gets kind of quiet after awhile. I generally try to stay out of the house as much as I possibly can."

"That's cool. You should come over and swim more often; we almost never use the pool that we've got. Besides, Seto seems to enjoy it."

"Mokuba, you are really starting to become a pain," Seto remarked while trying to keep a smile from forming on his face. "I don't think I'm going to tell you anything about the relationship from now on."

"What?! And not get the news of what's going on?!"

"Nope."

Tea laughed as Mokuba tugged at his hair. "No way! Come on, Seto! I was only joking! Please? How can I make plans if I don't know the situation?!"

"Mokuba, might I remind you that this is _my_ girlfriend, not yours?" he asked, making Tea stop laughing for a split second. Being referred to as Seto Kaiba's girlfriend was going to take some getting used to.

"Well _I_ think she should come over more often. You seemed very happy while she was over, at least."

"I told her she was allowed over whenever she wanted to come and visit," Seto argued.

"And I'm coming over whenever I feel like it!" Tea chimed in, wrapping her arms around Seto's waist and catching him off guard. Hearing Mokuba burst out laughing, she looked up to see a very noticeable blush appearing on his face. "Right?"

"That's the spirit!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Alright, alright, enough out of you two!" Seto shouted while trying his best not to smile. "Let's finish eating this before it gets cold, okay?"

"Yeah, Seto wants to do a bunch of things when we get home, right Seto?" Mokuba asked slyly.

"Mokuba, you are not allowed to watch any more R-rated movies from now on."

"Oh, come on! I always made jokes like this, just not towards you!"

"Exactly."

"That's not fair."

"I guess you'll have to deal with that, then."

Tea chuckled and shook her head at the brothers' behaviors. "_These two are really just two teenage brothers, yet they act so differently in front of other people. Seto is really kind and has a sense of humor, while Mokuba probably has a sick mind when he acts so innocently. It's that, or he has his brother's sense of humor but a less-caring mouth. Either way, it's amusing to listen to, that's for sure._"

"I'll take you home once we're done with this meal," Seto stated, looking over at her. "But first we're dropping _him _off."

"Aw, don't want me watching you two?"

"No, I don't," Seto answered defiantly. "And besides, by the time we're done here, it will be time for you to get ready for bed."

"You're kidding me."

"That's what you get for listening to Sophie."

Tea blinked at this. "Sophie?"

"Yeah, Sophie liked telling Mokuba every little detail about sex for some odd reason," Seto explained. "And now look at him."

Mokuba giggled mischievously before getting back to his meal. "But is that plan okay with you?" Seto asked.

"Yeah…that's fine," she answered. Deciding to make a joke herself, she added, "I don't mind a kiss goodnight every so often."

Instead of a glare, Seto smiled over at her and said, "That's what I like to hear."

"_Dammit, I'm never going to beat him at comebacks_," she thought bitterly as she smirked and went back to finishing her meal.

* * *

(1) Okay, I'm sorry, but I don't really know Japanese cuisine, so as you can obviously tell, I'm using non-Japanese food. If you know Japanese food, you have the abilities to use your imagination and replace the steaks I've given them to eat lol.


	34. C34 Small Confessions

**Chapter 34 – Small Confessions**

"So this is your place…" Seto commented as the two walked into the apartment. The floors were just thick, white carpeting while the walls were a light blue color. All of the furniture was dark blue except for the chairs and table, which were made of tan wood. A doorway allowed one to see the kitchen in a small, adjacent room, while a hallway led back towards an open, bedroom door and two other doors.

"Nothing like what you have, I know," Tea stated as walked into the kitchen. "But it serves its purpose. I have a safe place to sleep at night."

"That's all that matters," Seto stated as he sat down in one of the wooden chairs.

"Do you want something to drink?" Tea asked, raising her voice so that he could hear her.

"Not really."

"Okay." Putting some hot water on the stove, she moved the dial to High and walked back out to sit next to Seto. "Just making myself some tea."

"You like tea, don't you?"

"I try to drink a cup a night. It helps me sleep and relax. Maybe you should try drinking a cup every night."

Sighing, Seto smiled and shook his head. "I highly doubt a cup of tea a night will cure me."

"What do you have nightmares about? I mean, you looked very…torn up when I decided to wake you."

"It's just about Sophie. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Seto…"

He glanced over at her before letting out another sigh. "I know I'm keeping her kind of a secret, but… I believe some things should just be left alone."

"To be honest, I was surprised when you mentioned her at dinner."

Seto chuckled and rolled his eyes. "She was always so into everything. I remember when she stated she wanted to become a ballroom dancer when she grew up. I laughed and said that they would never allow somebody who was like her to be a ballroom dancer."

"Why? What was she like?"

"She was just so scatter-brained and random. She always kept you on the edge of your toes. I was not exaggerating when she told Mokuba _everything_ about sex. I wanted to kill her for that, but she said she knew Mokuba could handle it. And by the way, he's not always like that, the way he was tonight. He was just being a smartass."

Tea chuckled and nodded her head in understanding. "I figured just as much, although you have to admit that he is quite hysterical at times."

Smiling, Seto nodded in agreement. "Yeah…that's my younger brother for you. The exact opposite of me." At this, he crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward slightly.

"Oh, I don't think so," Tea remarked, watching as Seto eyed her. "You both have a sense of humor, and you both know how to have fun. You just hide it from the rest of the world while Mokuba shows everyone how kind he is." A comfortable silence fell over the two, and Tea soon heard the water from her teapot boiling. Walking back into the kitchen, she called out, "Are you sure you don't want any tea?"

"I guess so…" he reluctantly answered. Tea smiled and prepared two cups before walking back out and setting them down on the table. Seto grasped one in both hands and just held onto it while she sipped hers. After taking a small sip, he set the cup back down and stared back up at her. "So what about you, Tea? Have you had any previous boyfriends before you met the infamous, bastard CEO of KaibaCorp?"

She chuckled and nodded her head. "Yes, I had one other boyfriend."

"What happened to you two?"

Biting her lower lip, Tea shivered slightly, remembering the night well. "I… Well, the both of us came home one night, and—"

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine," he interrupted, and she glanced up to see a worried expression on his face. She shook her head no.

"If we're going to be in a relationship, I think you should know," she answered. "We came home one night, and it had been a fun night for the both of us. We began drinking… This was maybe two years ago, and even though we were underage his mother had alcohol downstairs. I only had a cup or so, but he drank a lot. I didn't keep track; we were just having so much fun."

"After awhile, things became rather…heated, I guess you could say. I had sex with him, and the next day he abandoned me for this stupid whore we had met at the party that night. Needless to say, I was not happy at all. That's how I know what nightmares are like. All I could think about was him dumping me for this slut… We had plans about after high school and everything, too."

"I'm sorry to hear about that," Seto replied after taking another sip of his tea. "Know that I would never think to do that to you."

"I know you won't. But…it still hurts from time to time." Drinking a gulp of her tea, she smiled and looked over at him. "What about you? What happened between you and Sophie?" She already knew Sophie was dead, but hopefully Seto didn't know that she knew. No, she was curious to see what the CEO would say.

"I guess since you told me…" Drinking the rest of his tea, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sophie and I continued seeing each other from time to time after Mokuba and I were adopted by Gozaburo. We found no problem with it, and at that point I didn't realize the cruelty of Gozaburo Kaiba. But shortly afterwards… She died." Tea made sure her eyes widened in feigned shock. "I had to watch as she suffered, as she died, and I was helpless to do anything about it."

"What did she die of? Was she sick, or did she do something drastic?"

"No…nothing like that. She just… I…" Closing his eyes, he covered his forehead with his hand and let out a long sigh. "That's what I have nightmares about. Her death just continually replays itself over and over again inside my head. I couldn't do anything…to help the only other person I cared for other than Mokuba. I was so heavily medicated that year that it's a miracle I even remember it."

"You said you've taken so many pills you don't need help taking them anymore…"

Seto chuckled sadly at this. "Yeah. I've taken pills, liquids, therapy…and this is the better me." Chuckling again, he said, "Isn't it pathetic?"

"Seto, if I went through what you have, I would be in much worse condition," Tea argued. "I mean, you've gone through an awful lot of stress and loss in your life, something that nobody deserves. You should be proud of yourself for making it this far."

Seto smiled over at her. "You sound like Mokuba…"

"Why? Because I'm right?"

Seto's smile turned into a smirk. "Oh really?"

"What did you take all that medication for, though? From what I've seen, you only take prescription drugs for depression."

"Yeah, well… I had depression, I was suicidal, I was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and was reliving my past, and I was constantly monitored because I more than once tried to overdose." Letting his head hang back on the chair so that he was staring up at the ceiling, he whispered, "It's a freakin' miracle I'm still around today."

"Why were you suicidal?!" Tea asked in pure shock. "_God, he must have loved this girl, literally, to death!_"

"I just felt so lost over her death… I thought that, by killing myself, I could be with her. That was a short-lived phase, though, since Mokuba reminded me that there were still others I needed to take care of. Still…it was a phase I went through."

"You must have really loved her…"

"I did." Raising his head to smile at her, he added, "And if this relationship works out, maybe I'll love you just as much."

"Speaking of surprises," she commented, smiling over at him.

"I know. I still can't figure out how I fell in love with you. I guess… I just saw you in a different light at the orphanage."

"The same could be said here. But I was talking about how you're so positive about this relationship."

"What's the matter with wanting something like that to work out?"

"Nothing. You just seem so…happy about us being together."

"I'm trying to get over a death that happened years ago. By falling in love with someone else, I knew I was getting on the right track. I guess…what I'm trying to say is that…that I know this is a good thing for me, and I want it to remain this way. Being pessimistic and cynical about it would just destroy it, along with my chances for starting over again. I'm trying to make this work out as long as possible for me…for us. Why? Would you rather me be an asshole like I have to be at work?"

"No, I didn't say that!" she exclaimed. "I'm just saying that it kind of shocked me how you are so different when you and I are together."

"I'm really not that bad of a person," Seto stated. "I just really don't trust others. Once I trust you, I'm okay around you. I can be friendly towards you and have fun and do things I wouldn't normally do. But…that trust barrier is the hardest one to pass through."

"Is that why you act so coldly towards others?"

"I act that way because I don't want a constant beating on that barrier I've created. I don't want others trying to befriend me; you and Mokuba and Jade and Lucy are good enough."

"I forgot about Lucy…"

"How? That girl is insane."

"You're the one who's friends with her!"

Seto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. She doesn't know we're going out, though. The moment she finds out a friend is dating someone, she has their wedding plans already done by the second week. She's weird when it comes to planning parties and things like that."

"She's very repetitive, too."

"Yes, very."

"Well, I promise not to mention anything to her. I don't really talk to her at all, to be perfectly honest."

"Haha, that's probably the better choice."

"Why are you even friends with her?"

"Well, when I have to throw a party, I get her to do it. She knows how to plan parties; she basically does it for a living next to styling others. Other than that, she's very nice and used to babysit Mokuba. We have a history."

"I see. I find it amusing that you're friends with all girls, though."

"If you're insinuating I'm a womanizer, you're sorely mistaken," Seto stated. "All the boys picked on Mokuba at the orphanage, so of course I never befriended them. Jade protected me from them while I protected Mokuba. Lucy came into the picture while Gozaburo was around and I had no friends. It was just the way it happened."

"I didn't mean it as a bad thing, but I'm sorry about your experience at the orphanage."

Seto shook his head. "I can't change it, so whatever." Looking over at the nearby clock, he sighed for the fourth time that night and slowly stood up. "I should probably be getting home. If Mokuba isn't in bed by the time I'm home, he isn't allowed to play any video games for the rest of the week."

Tea chuckled and trailed behind him towards the door. "Aw, Seto's being a good daddy!" she joked, remembering Mokuba's comment earlier that night. Seto chuckled at this and turned around to face her.

"Would you rather have Mokuba running loose in Domino City?" he questioned.

"Um, not really. He'd probably be sent to the zoo."

Seto nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, probably."

Smiling, she walked up and wrapped her arms around him and placed her head against his chest. "If you ever want to come over here, you're always welcome. I know it doesn't have the pool or anything like that, but if you want to get away from your work or something, that's fine." By now, Seto had begun brushing his hand through her hair, comforting her.

"I'll keep that in mind," he answered, tilting her head upward with his hand and locking his gaze on her. The two just stared at each other, and as she was becoming lost in his eyes, he wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered, "I love you, Tea." Pressing their lips together, she felt him kiss her once, twice, and then the kiss deepened itself as his tongue pressed against her lips. Opening her mouth for his entry, she felt his tongue begin to dance with hers, sending shocks of pleasure into her system. Her legs suddenly felt weak; she wrapped her arms around his neck for support before she fell.

The two stood there for as long as they felt was right, not caring whether one minute or twenty had passed (although that was a definite stretch). Whatever the case was, the two continued to kiss one another, making sure no passion was left out. Once the two ran out of air, they both backed away in unison and smiled at each other. Kissing her one last time lightly on the lips, Seto let go of her and said, "I'll see you tomorrow," before leaving the room, and her, alone, the taste of Seto's tongue in her mouth still lingering and sending shivers down her spine.


	35. C35 Group Discussion

_**Author's Note: Okay, okay, I know it's been literally forever since I updated this thing, but I've decided that this will probably be the best way for me to update from now on. I'll update at least one chapter a week, usually during the weekend, and that's probably it. I'm sorry, but I'm involved in so much stuff, and school has to come first. Just know I'm not leaving this story behind until it is finished!! : )**_

* * *

**Chapter 35 – Group Discussion**

Yugi, Tea, and Tristan were all sitting at their usual table in the cafeteria, awaiting the arrival of their fourth and final friend. All three of them knew what was coming, but they knew it had to be done. They sat in silence, each eating his or her own meal, before Joey Wheeler came over and sat down, not once bothering to break the awkward and uncomfortable aura hovering above the table. At last, Tea decided to crush it. After all, she was the one that had brought this to the attention of the other two boys; she might as well be the one to start what was going to be a long and tiring process.

"Joey—" she began, but was quickly cut off by Joey letting out a long sigh.

"I know," he answered softly, looking down at his pizza in shame. "I talked to the guy last night."

The entire group blinked in surprise at this. "What do you mean you talked to him last night?" Tea asked. "Are we talking about the same person here?"

"If you mean your boyfriend, then yes," he stated, his voice still low. All three sets of shoulders sank, releasing the tenseness previously held.

"_Maybe this will be easier than we all thought if he already talked to Seto about this…_" Tea had already told Yugi and Tristan about the message Joey had left for her new boyfriend, which did more than just slightly upset the two. Nobody could understand the blonde's frustration with her being with the CEO of KaibaCorp. Sure, there was a bad, perhaps even awful, history with the two, but Joey had constantly fought Seto because he was unsociable and rude. Was it so shocking that he turned away from the idea that the cold-hearted persona Seto created for himself wasn't the true thing?

"I tried calling him several times at work, but then he called me back after he said he got home from going out to eat with Mokuba and…you," Joey continued. "I realized how I let myself go when I left him that message, and I wanted to apologize to him about it. It hit me how, if I got a girlfriend and none of you trusted her, it wouldn't be right for you all to leave messages like that. So I figured I would give him a call."

"And how did the call go?" Tristan asked, eyeing his friend with a concerned look.

"It went well, to be perfectly honest," Joey replied after taking another bite out of his slice of pizza. "I was so surprised to hear him not yelling at me for once, especially after what I had done."

"What all did you two say?" Tea asked, leaning forward onto the table. This was all new to her; Seto must have talked with him after he had left her apartment.

"Well, at first he was very angry at me about the whole thing, which was understandable," Joey began to explain. "I told him I was sorry and that I recognized how out of line I really was. We then began talking about how you two met, and his story matched yours, so I guess I have to apologize to you as well for not believing you."

"Apology accepted," Tea stated, a small smile appearing on her face, though she wondered if Seto had told Joey about the orphanage or not.

"I'm glad to see the old Joey back!" Tristan exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "No more 'Senior Asshole', eh?"

All three laughed at the comment, and even Joey chuckled slightly. "Yeah, I've decided to get over it. That talk with Kaiba really helped."

"So you accept the fact that we're together now?" Tea questioned. Joey nodded his head in approval, making Tea smile widely. "Well that's good to hear. I didn't want another fight last time."

"Me neither, which I guess was one of the reasons I decided to give him a call."

"What made you suddenly freak like that though, Joey?" Yugi asked after sipping his drink. "I mean, you really seemed pissed off about the whole situation."

"Think of all that guy and I have been through, Yugi," Joey stated. "I mean, were all those insults and comments supposed to just melt away? All the things that we said to each other weren't for fun or out of kindness. The thought that Tea was dating somebody who calls me a dog didn't sit well with me."

"I guess I can understand…but you're okay with it now, correct?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Yugi chuckled and nodded his head at this. "Besides, that Kaiba… He's something else."

"What do you mean?" Tea asked, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"He said…that he would never let anything happen to you," Joey answered. "He seemed so honest and…upset over the fact that I questioned his loyalty to you. He told me at least twice that he would never let anything happen to you. Ever."

"_Well of course he would be upset over that. With the whole Sophie incident and her deaeth… It's hard to imagine him _not_ being protective about a girlfriend. Then again, they don't know that…and they probably don't need to._"

"At least you know that he's willing to protect our Tea over here," Tristan replied jokingly.

"Yeah, I know. It was just…different, I guess."

"See, I told you he was nice on the inside!" Tea exclaimed. "And none of you believed me! Besides, you have all seen the strength in his relationship with Mokuba. He truly thinks of friends in the same respect as he does family. I guess that's why he doesn't have many… He holds them in such high respect."

"That does explain a lot…" Tristan pointed out. "And I have to admit that if I were Mokuba, I would feel very safe with somebody like Kaiba as an older brother. I mean, we've been present when he risked his life for his brother."

"Yeah…" The memories of Seto on the top of Pegasus's tower, willing to throw himself off for the sake of winning…of him passing his winning shot in Noa's world to save his brother from the resulting blow… "_He's just that way with friends and family. He's lost so many…and holds them in such high regard that…he'll do anything for them. Suddenly it's not so hard to think of why Seto was so devastated over the loss of Sophie._"

"Well, hopefully it never comes to a situation like that within your relationship," Yugi assuredly stated.

"Yes, let's hope not," Tea agreed.

"Speaking of him, where is he?" Joey asked, looking around the cafeteria. "I wanted to thank him for talking to me last night since I know it could have been a thousand times worse, but I haven't seen him all day. Was he in any of your classes, Tea?"

Thinking back to class, she blinked in surprise and shook her head no. "I guess he wasn't…"

"I wonder why. He sounded fine last night even though I called him at, like, midnight. He's usually not absent from school either."

"I'll give him a call after school," Tea replied, remembering that she had to go to the orphanage today. "Maybe he's sick."

"Figures," Joey complained. "The moment I at least try to be respectful to him, and he becomes ill."

"It was destiny that you two should never get along!" Yugi joked, making the whole group burst out laughing.

"Grr, haven't we had enough of destiny?!" Joey exclaimed.

"Apparently not," Tristan stated. "I hope that guy isn't sick, though. Other than the time you beat the crap out of him, Joey, I've never seem him really sick or injured."

"I know. That guy defines 'invincibility'."

Tea blinked in surprise again but chose to ignore their comments and went back to eating their food. "_His façade works in more ways than one, I guess,_" she thought, taking the last bite of her sandwich. "_Not only do people think of him as this cruel individual, but they think he's unbreakable, invincible as Joey just put it. Yet he cannot he even sleep without…_" Tea stopped drinking her iced tea, the realization hitting her. "_Is that why he's not here? Are his nightmares plaguing him again? He said he didn't want any medication for it, which is understandable given his history with prescription drugs, but if that's really the case… Maybe Mokuba was right. Maybe he really should ask the doctors if there's anything he can do to stop them._"

"I think he just took off to get work done at KaibaCorp," Yugi replied. "I can't see him taking off school just because of a cold. He just doesn't seem to be that type of a person."

"Or maybe Mokuba forced him to stay home and chill out," Tristan chimed in. "That guy doesn't understand the concept of taking a break."

"Who cares?" Joey asked. "What can we do about it if he's not here? I just hope it's not some curse I put on him for trying to be nice."

"_Perhaps I should give Jade a call and see if she knows anything about it,_" Tea thought. "_She always seems to know what's going on in the Kaiba mansion. Mokuba probably calls her up when Seto isn't feeling well to inform her, especially when he's supposed to head over to the orphanage…like tonight._"

"Well, I guess we'll find out tomorrow what happened," Joey concluded before taking a sip of his drink. "Until then, I hope he doesn't blame his absence on me."

"_Will Seto even show up tonight if he's not at school? Highly doubtful. He wouldn't want the kids getting sick if that was really the case, but he also would have to deal with Jade and me if he only got two hours of sleep. Seto… That's what you get for befriending a bunch of worrisome girls._"

Tea chuckled lightly at her comment before opening a bag of cookies. "So what do you two do when you hang out?" Tristan asked, looking over at Tea. "I mean, I can't picture Kaiba being one to go out on dates…"

"We just do random things, really. Last weekend, it was Mokuba's idea to have me come and swim over at their house. They have a _really_ beautiful pool. We went out to eat last night, the three of us, but they always dress up so that nobody recognizes them."

"Dress up?" Yugi questioned, his eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Not dressing up in the sense of Halloween. They just dress differently, and you'd be amazed at how nobody recognizes them. Maybe I'll tell them to dress up one day and see if you guys can notice them. But we've also…" Remembering the scene from the orphanage, Tea swallowed the small lump in her throat and said, "We've also gone a couple of places just to hang out."

"So Kaiba _can_ act like a normal teenager, huh?" Tristan asked.

"You'd be amazed…" she repeated, knowing that they didn't truly grasp how different Seto was around her and his friends. It was literally two different people sharing one body; how could she explain that to Seto's rivals-now-acquaintances?

"Well, we better get going," Yugi said as he quickly stood up. "Lunch is going to be over soon. Tell Kaiba we all said hi."

"Yeah, and tell him I didn't mean for him to get sick!" Joey exclaimed as he bolted out of his seat to go throw his tray away. Tea laughed and nodded her head in understanding.

"Alright, I'll see you guys later." Grabbing her trash, she turned around and threw it away in a nearby trash can before heading off to her next class. "_I'll go to the orphanage and see if Jade knows anything. If she, somehow or other, doesn't, then I'll call him up and make sure he's okay. I don't want to see him have to get new medication either…_"


	36. C36 The New Orphanage

**Chapter 36 – The New Orphanage**

Tea entered the orphanage grounds, thinking about whether or not to talk to Jade about Seto's absence, and frowned at the sight of no children playing outside. "_They're usually outside when I come over unless it's raining,_" she thought as she looked up at the clear, blue sky. "_I wonder what's up… Did something happen with the local gangs or something? Jade always takes them inside when she hears gunfire…_" Strolling across the area, she opened the door up and closed it behind her, her eyes widening in shock at the sight before her.

All of the kids were huddled around the long table used for meals, their eyes wide and mouths hanging open in surprise and awe. Some were pointing at whatever was on the table, but she couldn't make it out. Both Jade and Seto were standing and watching as the kids looked at whatever it was they were being shown, smiles on both of their faces. She noticed, too, how Lilith was clinging onto Seto's hand for dear life.

"What are you all doing?" she asked, watching in amusement as all eleven heads looked over at her in unison. Seto's smile widened slightly as Jade waved at her.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "Come over here; have we got a sight for you!"

Tea nodded and walked over the table, blinking in surprise at what she saw. They were all pictures of rooms being built, some already completed, along with pictures of furniture and other necessities. "What is all this?" she asked, looking up and down the table at all the pictures.

"These are pictures of the new orphanage Seto is building," Jade explained. "We're happy to say that it's almost done."

"Really?!" she exclaimed, looking up in surprise at Seto, who nodded his head.

"Really," he repeated. "This is some of the furniture that will be in it, but we haven't gotten everything yet. I just figured we could let these kids see some of what's to come."

She had to admit that there was definitely good reason for these kids to be as shocked as they were. It looked like he was building them a resort hotel rather than an orphanage. She saw a picture of a small, outdoor pool being built, along with pictures of a finished kitchen and dining room. "_These kids are going to be living in better conditions than I currently live in!_" she thought.

"There aren't going to be many decorative things since these kids here wouldn't really notice or understand much of it," Seto continued to explain. "Most of the rooms are simple, but I made sure there was more than enough room for them. It's two stories; the first story has a study room, the kitchen, the dining room, and a game room, while the second story has three bathrooms and four bedrooms. It's an easy layout and shouldn't be hard to get used to. Then we have the pool and playground area out back."

"Wow…is this what you were checking on that one day?" Tea asked, considering the time the two had walked in the rain together.

"Exactly. I was making sure it wasn't being built too big; we don't need to build a mansion for these kids. I just wanted something a bit better than this. Plus, it's in a decent area as you saw, so we won't have to worry about…" Choosing his wording carefully, he finished with, "…danger outside."

Tea nodded her head in understanding and smiled over at Lilith, who had been eyeing her this entire time. Lilith chuckled and looked back down at the table, most likely hoping to stop Tea from looking at her. "_She seems to be a bit more outgoing, even just by standing there,_" Tea noted. "_Although she's holding onto Seto's hand as if he's going to up and vanish any second now._"

"So we're going to be living in this soon?" Harem asked, his short black hair ruffled up slightly.

"Hopefully," Seto answered. "We're almost done building the place, and then all we have to do is buy you guys some furniture."

"What kind of furniture are you going to buy, Big Brother?" Luke asked, his gaze shooting up in Seto's direction.

"I'm not sure yet. Comfortable stuff, I can assure you. Wouldn't want you sleeping on boards, now would we?"

"That doesn't sound very comfy," Caterina complained, making the group chuckle.

"No, we're going to make sure you kids are taken care of, I promise," Seto replied, receiving smiles from all the kids before they returned to their amazement at the pictures. Tea walked around the table and stood next to Seto, who had since backed away in order to allow some of the kids better viewing of the pictures.

"Is this where you've been all day?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "Sorry I didn't give you a call, but I didn't realize I'd be skipping school today until this morning when one of the construction crews asked for me to come in and make sure things were going the way I wanted it to."

"No, it's okay. I was just…worried."

He pursed his lips together before letting out a sigh. "You were worried I didn't get any sleep," he whispered.

"Something like that…"

"I got a few more hours than normal, so maybe I'm starting to get better. It's odd…when I think…" Shaking his head, he said, "I'll tell you later. Let's just not talk about that right now."

"What's the matter?" Jade asked, noticing Seto's sudden expression. He quickly shook his head and smiled over at her.

"She was just worried as to why I skipped school today," he answered. "She thought it was because I was sick."

Jade nodded her head slowly as if accepting the answer without believing it before walking around the table. "Well, I'm going to make them an early dinner since tonight is their planned 'gaming' night."

"What is that?" Seto asked, a smirk appearing on his face.

"All the boys decided that they wanted to have a gaming night, and the girls wanted to join in. They said they want to stay up as long as possible and play video games non-stop. Multiplayer games, like Halo, and I said that as long as they behaved, I was fine with it."

"So they're planning their own events now?" Tea questioned, glancing down at the kids in respect.

"I guess so. Lilith here even wants to join them."

Both Tea and Seto smiled down at her as a blush appeared on her pale complexion. "Caterina invited me to join her team," she explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "She said she would teach me how to play and would help me out."

"Well that's good to hear," Seto stated. "I'm glad to see you're making friends now. Are you a bit happier here?"

Lilith nodded her head and smiled widely. "Yeah, they all seem really nice."

"Yo Lilith!" Lacy shouted, her blonde hair pulled back into a bun now. "Come see this pool! It looks so awesome!" Glancing up at Seto as if to ask for permission, Lilith waited until he nodded his head before letting go of his hand and running over to the table.

"She seems to have taken a liking to you," Jade noted, smirking over at the CEO.

"Apparently…"

"You thinking of adopting her once you're out of high school?" she asked, eyeing the two mischievously. "Or are you going to have kids of your own?"

"We already dealt with Mokuba's jokes," Seto complained, smirking back at Jade. "We don't need any from you. But in all seriousness, I was actually thinking of maybe adopting her later on."

"I'm glad to hear it." Laughing, she grabbed Seto's cheek and said, "My little boy is growing up! Awww, how cute!"

Tea burst out laughing as Seto wrenched his cheek away and nursed it with his hand. "I am not your little boy," he scolded.

"Don't forget that you used to be, though!" she exclaimed, grinning widely at him. "Tea, you may have won his heart, but I still have pictures of him when he was just a little kid! He's still my little brother!"

"Oh really?" she asked slyly. "Is there anyway I could see these lovely pictures?"

"Why is it that everyone makes fun of me for this?!" he exclaimed.

"We aren't making fun of you," Jade argued. "We just know how cute you are…or in my case how you used to be!"

"Alright, enough. Let's change this subject now before Mokuba decides to randomly call and add onto the conversation."

Tea chuckled and nodded her head. "Oh, I heard you talked to Joey last night," she stated, watching as Seto's eyes blinked in surprise.

"He told you guys then?" Seto asked.

"Yeah. He said the conversation went well and that he was worried his attempt at trying to be nice to you made you sick."

Seto chuckled and said, "Yes, he would think something like that, now wouldn't he?"

"And who are we talking about now?" Jade asked, confusion in her expression.

"That kid that body slammed me," Seto answered.

"He seems to really respect you now, though," Tea quickly commented as Jade's eyes turned into a menacing glare, one that could go at odds with Seto's signature look.

"Yeah. We talked for nearly an hour. He wanted to apologize for his actions, and I said I would accept it as long as he respected the fact that you were with me. I don't really care how he feels about me; I just don't want him to get worked up at you over this whole thing. I didn't want you losing friends because of your choice to be with me."

"Joey mentioned how you said you wouldn't ever let anything happen to me…"

"I just wanted him to know that I wouldn't hurt his friend at all," Seto stated. "I can understand trust issues, especially ones dealing with friends and family. I could understand where he was coming from, I guess. I just wanted to assure him that I would respect you and treat you well. I think he believed I would be the cold-hearted person I am at work towards you."

"I'm glad to see that things worked out, though."

"Me too. I don't like being attacked because of trust issues, even if I can comprehend them."

"Tristan and Yugi also support this, so I guess the whole group is okay with it."

"I figured Yugi would be fine with it. He seemed to sense that the cold exterior I have wasn't my true self. I have to admit that I was worried about Tristan's reaction as well."

"I was honestly surprised at how calm he was about it," Tea agreed. "He seemed to be like Yugi; he must have known you couldn't always be cruel."

"Hey Big Brother, when are we going to move here?" Brethor suddenly asked, grabbing all three adults' attentions.

"Hopefully soon," Seto stated. "In a couple of weeks, everything should be set up for you all."

"Awww!" they all exclaimed. "But a couple of weeks is basically forever!" Harem moaned.

Tea chuckled at their childish remark and saw Seto smile. "Trust me, it will be worth the wait," he assured them.

"So much for not being a parent to these kids," Tea remarked, seeing Seto turn to face her. "You act just like one."

"Maybe…" he replied. "I only want what's best for them—"

"—just like a parent would." He smirked over at her, and Tea saw the glint of light she had seen in the pool that day once again shine through in his eyes.

"It's hard to imagine myself being a parent though. I have nobody to go off of."

Tea grasped his hand in hers and smiled. "It's okay. You act better than most parents do to these kids. It doesn't matter whether you have a role model to go off of or not. You see how much you mean to these kids…"

As if on cue, Lilith came running back over and smiled up at the two. "Thank you for building this place for us," she stated. "It looks really cool."

Seto smiled a genuine smile at her, lighting his face up and bringing back the look of him being his own age, eighteen. He nodded his head and said, "It's no problem. I just want you kids to be safe."

She nodded and grabbed onto his other hand once more, whispering a small 'thank you', before Jade walked forward.

"Alright, tell Seto over here he needs to clean the table up so that we can eat soon!" she exclaimed. All the kids quickly bolted up and ran over to Seto, pictures of the orphanage in their hands. He blinked in surprise and took them away before they all ran back to the television, setting up for their night of video gaming. "That works too, I guess," she answered.

"Just their way of saying thanks," Tea commented, noticing the small blush that began to appear on Seto's face.


	37. C37 Stuck

**Chapter 37 – Stuck**

"Thanks for the ride home," Tea stated as Seto and her entered his sleek, black car.

"It's no problem," he answered as he sat in the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition, bringing the car to life. "It's the least I can do since you told Jade you're still going to help out even though that project was over with."

"Yeah, well… I have to admit that these kids grew on me," she replied as Seto pulled out of the orphanage. "I would hate to leave them behind now, especially when some of them are just now getting used to me."

"What do you mean?" he questioned, glancing over at her before turning his attention back to the road.

"Well, I know that Lilith girl was having some problems, and I wanted to make sure she was okay before I left…at least, when I still thought I was leaving. Plus some of the boys were still a little untrusting of me for awhile, but I think they all like me now. Hopefully."

"They do. Strangers are weird to them, and when they realize you are there to stay, only then do they fully trust you."

"Do you know this from experience?" she asked, wondering if he would answer the question or not.

He sighed lightly and chuckled, "Yeah... I remember when new helpers would arrive to work for Jade's father. We would all become so frightened of him or her, because we didn't know for sure who they were and why they were there. Obviously they weren't there to adopt us, so why did they keep showing up? It was…bad times back then with strangers. Plus some workers didn't stay for very long, and you never knew why as a kid. You always blamed yourself…at least, that's how Mokuba and I tended to take it. After all, we weren't liked by many kids other than Jade or Sophie, so the blame usually lingered its way to our little group. But we made the best of those times, and I have to admit that I enjoyed that part of my life a lot more than…than the time after I was adopted."

Tea nodded her head in understanding as a calm silence filled the car. Seto's elbow was resting next to the closed window now, his hand underneath his chin, as he drove with one hand, most likely thinking more than paying attention to the street. "That's all you can do, though," she stated after a moment passed between the two. "You can't just constantly dwell on the bad things that happened in life. You have to move forward and make the best out of tomorrow. If you don't, you'll miss everything going by as you constantly think about what could have been."

She watched as a small smile formed on Seto's lips. "That's what I'm still learning to do," he whispered. "And I thank you for helping me through this stage."

"I didn't do anything."

"On the contrary, you made me think about somebody other than myself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked as they stopped at a red light.

"Around the time when you and I were arguing, I seriously began to question myself," he slowly explained, looking over at her. "I was so worried about having to get yet another prescription after the doctor promised me I wouldn't get anymore. I kept thinking about what went wrong, why I constantly had to rely on medication to get by… and then I saw how you helped me that day when Joey decided to use me as a punching bag."

Looking forward to break their locked gaze, Seto let out another sigh. "I realized that I was thinking so much about myself and my problems that it was hurting me. Your whole speech about being hated… It made me realize that I needed at least somebody other than Mokuba to help me out. Sophie wasn't there…she was just hurting me inside." Seto's voice had dropped to a mere whisper, and she could see his grip on the wheel tightening. "So Mokuba told me to get a friend, and I did. At first I was little worried about the idea, but I decided to apologize to you, knowing I would be around you a lot more often now that you worked at the orphanage, and hoped to eventually at least be on friendly terms with you." He smiled over at her and shook his head. "I never thought it would get me here…"

Tea just looked in awe at Seto, surprised that the light was still red after all this time. "I didn't realize what an impact I was on you…" she replied.

Before he could say anything, both Seto and she felt a sudden crash to the back of the car, sending them both forward in their seats but not enough to set the airbag off. "What the hell--?!" he exclaimed, turning around in surprise. Tea did as well and saw a red car right against them, pushing their car forward. Putting the car into gear, Seto quickly drove forward and turned to the right, watching in the rear view mirror as the car slowly followed.

"Who is that?!" Tea exclaimed as she looked in the side mirror to see it following them.

"I don't know," Seto answered warily. "But we're getting out of here. Now."

"Good ide—" Then a sound penetrated the silence that had enveloped the town. A gunshot.

She immediately looked over to see the color had completely drained out of the CEO's face. His grip on the steering wheel tightened until his hands were as white as his face, his eyes turning suddenly all black before the blue returned. She blinked in surprise before looking back to the mirror. "_What the… Did he just zone out? Or maybe he's just scared, although he has every right to be at this point._" She could feel her own heartbeat racing inside her.

"Just make sure your seatbelt is on," Seto stated. She glanced back over to see the color slowly returning to his face. "I'm not letting you get hurt."

She nodded her head and made sure it was on properly before swallowing the lump in her throat. Hearing another shot, she turned around to see a motorcyclist beside the red car, which was gaining on them fast. Another shot rang out, and she noticed the gun in the motorcyclist's hand. "What is going on?" she asked, her eyes wide in shock.

"Probably one of the local gangs," he answered as he turned another corner. Unfortunately, the red car also turned. "Why he's choosing to follow us, I don't know."

"_We're stuck in a car chase,_" she thought miserably, watching the motorcyclist and red car in the side mirror. "_Shit…_"

"Hold on tight," Seto suddenly warned loudly, and within a second, he turned the car to the left down an alley, nearly doing a 180-degree turn in the process. Tea felt herself begin to move before feeling a sudden grip on her arm. Looking down, she realized Seto was holding onto her. Once they started moving forward again, he slowly released her, his eyes never leaving the road in front of them.

"_Seto…_"

"I'm turning again," he said, looking in the back mirror to see the red car speeding up again. "I don't know what this guy's problem is, but he needs to get us out of this." Waiting until the road became visible, he made another left turn and began speeding down the road. Tea was happy that there were no cars out; otherwise, this would be disastrous. She could still hear the gunshots behind them as the motorcyclist and red car also made a turn, but she could see that they were farther away now.

"I think we're almost away from them," she observed, looking back over at Seto, whose breathing was extremely heavy at this point. She could read the worry and fear in his eyes, yet he was almost deadly focused on the road, scanning every possible exit out of this mess.

"You never know," was all he said before making another turn down a different alley. She watched as the red car went by and smiled, sighing in relief only for that smile to immediately vanish. The motorcyclist was following them now. "Shit!" he shouted, driving full-force down the alley.

"What's wrong?!" she exclaimed, looking over in confusion at him.

"I'm sure they don't like the idea as us being here to watch this happen," he answered. "Which means…" He quickly placed his arm right over her chest and, before she could say anything about it, slammed on the brakes hard. She felt herself go forward, the only things holding her back being the seatbelt and Seto's hand. The motorcyclist behind them shot a few bullets into the back of the car, making Tea cringe and shrink slightly in her seat, before the red car appeared at the end of the alley.

"I can't take them on," he answered, his voice raspy now. She looked over in horror to see a trickle of blood oozing down the side of Seto's cheek, and she saw a cut right next to his eye. "We're backing up." Putting the car in a different gear, he quickly looked backwards before reversing the car. The motorcyclist was obviously taken off guard and began shooting again at the back, only to have to run away at the last second before the car knocked the motorcycle out of the way. Tea could feel the tires bump over the other vehicle before reaching the roadway they were just on, and she watched as Seto shifted gears once more before driving forward at top speed.

She waited a few seconds before looking back to find no sign of the motorcyclist or red car anywhere. Turning back around, she let out another sigh of relief, this time hoping it was for good, before glancing over at her boyfriend. Seto's eyes were still deadly focused, but his breathing was still labored, and she noticed more blood begin to crawl down his cheek. She went to reach over and touch it only for Seto to move his face away from her. "I'm fine," he answered, his voice surprisingly at normal tone. "I just… Let's go home. I'm taking you to my place…is that alright?"

She slowly nodded her head and returned her hand to her lap. "Thanks…for saving me," she stated, eyeing him before looking out the window.

"I told you, I'm not letting anything happen to you," he replied. "I made that promise to you, to your friends, and to myself. I'm not breaking it anytime soon."

"But if you hadn't protected me, then you…."

"Tea, it's just a cut. I've lived through worse."

"I know, but…"

"Don't feel sorry, Tea. I didn't protect you just to protect you. I did it because I…I don't want you to get hurt."

She slowly looked back over to see a downcast expression on his face. "_He already lost Sophie…_" she thought as she returned her attention outside. "_I'm sure he doesn't want to lose somebody else at this point._" "Still, thank you."

She heard him chuckle before stating, "Now you see why we're moving them out of this area."

"Who?"

"The kids at the orphanage. That right there is the reason why we're moving these kids. To get them away from the violence and gang activity that's enveloping this part of Domino. I don't want them getting hurt as much as I don't want you getting hurt. And if that means building an entirely new place, I'll gladly put the money into doing so."

"Proof that you will do anything to protect those you love…" she thought aloud, not realizing she had said it before Seto chuckled again.

"More like to make up for those that I couldn't…."

"What are you—"

"Let's just drop it," he interrupted, smiling over at her. "I want to get you to the mansion and out of harm's way. I don't want to think of you as being alone after that; these gangs can track people down fast. Thank God these windows are tinted, but still… I want to make absolutely sure you're safe."

Tea smiled and asked, "Let me guess; you have the best security system on the planet in your own home?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he remarked. "Besides, I don't think I could make it to your house _before_ driving home. My head is killing me."

This made the smile on Tea's face disappear. "How did you hit it?"

"I guess I didn't brace myself properly before applying the brakes," he answered in an almost nonchalant tone, turning the corner and driving down the street. She was glad that not only was nobody out, but the cops weren't either. Seto was driving at least eighty miles-an-hour, though she understood why.

"So you saved me before—"

"For the last time, Tea, I said I would protect you. I don't regret this. Besides, it will probably just leave a mark for a day or two."

Tea wanted to agree, but she could see more and more blood dripping down the side of his face and was finding that hard to believe. Instead of arguing the point, she merely nodded her head and waited as he turned another corner, entering the neighborhood of the rich and famous, before slowly pulling into the driveway leading towards the Kaiba mansion.


	38. C38 My Turn

**Chapter 38 – My Turn**

Tea quickly got out of the vehicle once it was parked inside the illuminated garage and walked around to see the damage to the back. Bullet holes scattered the entire back bumper, and she could see scratches around the tires on where he had driven over the motorcycle. She was happy to see that no bullets had penetrated the window, but it still shocked her to see what they had really been through.

"How bad does it look?" Seto asked as he slowly got out of the car, shutting the door before placing his hand on the window to lean against it. His breathing still had not calmed down, indicating that his injury was either becoming worse or he was just tired out. Tea could imagine it was a mixture of the two.

"Bad…" was all she said as she scanned it one last time.

"I'll send it to the shop sometime this week," he replied, pushing himself off the car and walking towards the doorway leading inside the mansion. "Come on; I'll get you settled into a room. I'm sure you want to rest after that."

She nodded and followed him into the mansion, watching his movements carefully. He was walking just fine, yet she noticed how unfocused his eyes seemed to be. "_How could he have gotten hit on the head like that and still act as though nothing happened?_" she thought, examining him as if he was a patient at a hospital. "_I mean, he nearly passed out during that hallway incident with Joey, but he blamed that on the illness caused by his prescription medicine._" For some reason, it just irked her how Seto was behaving.

The two walked up the stairs in silence before Seto decided to be the first one to break it. "Let's try and be quiet up here," he stated as they turned a corner and began walking down the hallway. "I know Mokuba's sleeping, and the last thing he needs this late at night is to be worrying about me."

Tea nodded her head in understanding and followed him down another hallway before he opened a nearby door. She saw the room that she had used to change into her dress with the help of Lucy, and her eyes widened in surprise. "You can sleep in here if you want to," he explained. "Let me go and get you something to change into for the night. I can have the maids wash your outfit so that it's ready for tomorrow, and there should be necessities in the adjacent bathroom if you want to take a shower now."

"What about you?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'm just going to wash up and go to sleep," he answered. Placing his hand against his cheek, he took it away and blinked in surprise at the amount of blood covering his hand. He chuckled and said, "Looks like I better get started."

Watching him turn around and begin to walk away, she quickly reached out and grabbed his arm. Ignoring his protest, she dragged him through the bedroom and into the nearby bathroom, pushing the toilet seat down and making him sit on it. She began to fill the sink up with water and grabbed a nearby towel and soap. "Just what are you doing?" he asked, eyeing her skeptically.

"You risked your life to save mine," she stated, staring intently over at him. "The least I can do is clean your wound."

"Tea, it's not that bad," he insisted.

"Your eyes look like they can't make out anything," she noted, walking in front of him and seeing his eyes widen slightly. "If I had to guess by your facial expression, you're currently seeing two or three of me. I'm not going to let you act like there's nothing wrong, Seto. You don't always have to be invincible."

Hearing the water in the background, she watched as Seto frowned and slowly closed his eyes, letting his head hang slightly. She parted her lips slightly but could find nothing to say, so she went back to the sink and began soaking the washcloth with water and soap. She turned the water off and leaned down slightly as she began to wash the blood off of Seto's cheek, noticing him shiver considerably at her touch.

An awkward silence filled the bathroom, neither one having anything to say. "_Did I…upset him?_" she thought as she placed the washcloth back into the sink, the red blood soaking into the water as she applied more soap and began scrubbing his cheek once again. "_I guess I just worry about him too much… He's always trying to prove that he is unstoppable, but he's human too. He can't just pretend that this isn't hurting him. I guess… I guess I just don't want him to have to wear a mask in front of me…like he does to the rest of the world._"

Placing the washcloth in the sink once more, she reapplied the soap for a third time and moved some strands of brown hair out of the way to reveal the cut next to his eye. It looked worse than she had imagined; it definitely wasn't a clean cut. It looked like two swollen pieces of flesh surrounded a red river that continued to flow down his cheek, and as she pressed the washcloth against it, she heard Seto emit a groan, the first sign of pain he had expressed that entire night.

"Sorry," she whispered as she began to clean it out. "_He must have hit the edge of the steering wheel or something… Whatever he did, he hit it really hard. It's already turning black and blue._"

"You aren't…hurt, are you?" he suddenly asked, his eyes opening the tiniest bit to reveal their unfocused beauty.

"No…thanks to you," she added, smiling down at him. He smiled slightly and nodded his head.

"Good. I wouldn't want you worrying about me like this if you were hurt."

"I'm fine, Seto. Don't worry about me; you've done enough of that for tonight. In fact, that's why you're hurt to begin with. Now it's my turn to worry and take of you."

"I'm sorry, however, about getting you into that type of danger," he stated, looking up at her and forcing her to stop cleaning. "I probably shouldn't have done all that, but I did, and now…"

"Seto, do you not understand what you did?" she asked, setting the washcloth down and standing directly in front of him, knowing his image of her was most likely blurred to the point where she may be unrecognizable. "You saved me and yourself from two gang members after indirectly getting caught up in their schemes. If it hadn't been for you, who knows what would have happened to me."

"You wouldn't have been in a car chase—"

"And I may have been dead." The last word made Seto's eyes widen considerably before they returned to normal size, their gaze lingering towards the floor.

"I won't let you die…" he whispered, and Tea let out a small sigh and smiled.

"I know you won't. You're very protective…and I'm very appreciative. Now, can I finish cleaning your wound…please?" Noticing the small nod he gave to her, she picked up the washcloth once more and continued to clean the wound which had already begun to clot.

"How does it look?" he asked after another moment of silence passed. "Does it look worse than what Joey did to me?"

"I didn't really see what Joey gave you. I just noticed it was black and blue."

"That was all it was, really. Just a small bruise."

"Well then this is a bit worse," she replied, receiving a groan as she pressed the wet cloth against the cut.

"It feels it," he whispered, his eyes closing once again.

"Let me just clean this out a bit and put a bandage over it," she said.

"Can you honestly tell me how bad it looks?" he asked, looking over in curiosity at her. She had to admit that he was still pushing on, acting as though nothing was wrong, though his body language indicated he wanted to pass out cold.

"Can you even see straight?" she asked without thinking. His eyes…they just looked…

"That didn't answer my question."

Sighing, she opened the metal cabinet and began looking around for bandages. "It's pretty bad," she answered truthfully. "You have a cut, and it's swollen as well as black and blue all around it."

"Shit," he whispered. Sighing, he said, "I guess it's going to be fun to try and cover up tomorrow."

This made Tea stop. "You aren't…thinking of going to school tomorrow, are you?"

"I already skipped enough days this year, Tea. Don't argue with me about this, alright? I don't have the energy for it."

Even though it probably should have sounded angry, it came out as a plea, and she knew Seto was never one to beg for something. She should have been angry at him for telling her not to argue about it, for doing something that she knew was a bad idea, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Taking out a bandage, she nodded her head and whispered, "Okay. It's your choice."

Seeing a small smile appear on his face, she applied the large band-aid over the cut, moved a few strands of hair in order to cover it up, and waited for him to open his eyes. "Thanks…" he whispered as he slowly went to stand up. Grabbing onto the edge of the sink for support, he frowned at this and let out a growl.

"Hold on a sec," Tea stated as she drained the bloody water in the sink, rinsing out the washcloth and setting it on the edge of the sink to dry. "Here, let me help you." Grasping his hand, she led him into the bedroom and made him sit down on the bed.

"You know, I have my own bedroom," he said, though his eyes closed at the comfort of the mattress.

"I know, but that's probably three or four hallways away, and if you can't make it from the bathroom to the bedroom without help, I'm not letting you walk all the way around your mansion."

Seto chuckled at this. "You sound like Jade…"

"Why?"

"Every time I got hurt as a kid, I always pushed myself too hard. She'd always scold me, saying how it was dangerous and coming up with examples like you just did." Opening his eyes to stare up at the ceiling, he whispered, "I'm glad to know that…you care for me."

Tea crawled onto the bed and watched as he slowly crawled up next to her. He closed his eyes but wrapped an arm around her, as if to protect her from the outside world. "_Seto…all you do is protect the ones you love… Is it really such a surprise that others return the favor?_" "Are you still going to the doctor's office tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yeah…" he answered, though she could barely hear his voice even though she was lying right next to him.

"Maybe you should ask them about this." She placed her hand gently against the bandage and watched as his eyes clenched tightly in pain.

"I guess they're going to ask me about it whether I want them to or not," he replied.

"Do you want me to come along in case they ask what happened?"

Seto's eyes slowly opened at this as he shrugged his shoulder. "Only if you want to go to a boring appointment…"

"Oh, but it won't be boring," she retorted, smiling widely at him. "Not when they say you won't need anymore medication."

A small smile appeared on Seto's face, and he brought her closer to her before planting a small kiss on her lips. "No…I guess it won't." He soon closed his eyes, and Tea watched as his chest began to rise and fall in rhythm, his grip on her slowly loosening up, until she was sure he was asleep. Curling up next to him, she smiled and stared intently at his relaxed facial expression.

"_You promise to protect me so much, almost to the point where it's annoying, but I know you mean it every time you say it. Just let me take care of you sometimes, okay Seto?_" Closing her eyes, she thought, "_Seto…learn that love goes both ways, and that if you're willing to sacrifice yourself, I'll gladly stand by your side._" Chuckling, she added, "And know, too, that your mask doesn't fool me, and that you're not invincible."


	39. C39 Help Him

**Chapter 39 – Help Him**

"What happened?" was all Mokuba asked as the two stood in the hallway outside the room Tea and Seto had slept in. It was nearly ten o' clock in the morning; both Tea and Mokuba had called into the school saying they were taking the day off, along with a certain CEO who was currently in the room. She had woken up for school, showered, and changed, yet when Mokuba had walked in to find his brother still asleep, he had done everything in his power to wake him up. The two quickly found out that his 'sleep' was just his 'out cold' and that something was seriously wrong. Rather than waiting for his appointment later in the day, Mokuba had called the family doctor for a house check-up. Neither Tea or Mokuba said a word until the doctor showed up, who was now checking on Seto in the bedroom.

"You mean last night?" Tea asked, glancing down at the boy. He was sitting on the floor, staring intently at the door into the bedroom, worry and fear written all across his face.

"Yeah," he said, this time a bit softer. "What happened?"

"We…we got involved in some gang activity," she answered, not knowing how to reword it in a way to make it sound pleasant. The boy's eyes became wide as his gaze shot up to look at her. "A car and a motorcyclist were in a chase, and we got caught in the middle of it on accident. He… We went down a couple of alleys, but he must have realized we would be trapped, for he held onto me before slamming on the brakes. I guess he was so busy worrying about me that…that he didn't think of himself."

"It's not your fault, Tea," Mokuba reassured her, smiling sadly up at her. "But how did he get that cut?"

"My only guess is that his head went flying forward when he halted the car, hitting the steering wheel," Tea replied, biting her lower lip. "_Everyone tells me it's not my fault, but why does it feel like it is?_"

"Seto…" Mokuba's eyes wandered back towards the door before he let out a small sigh. "Please, I know I'm often guilty of this, but don't think it's your fault Seto is like this. He's always been like this; he's almost self-destructive when it comes to protecting the ones he loves. He'll do _anything_ to shield those that he cares about… It's how I've survived so long."

"I guess…"

"Just know that if he did that, it means he really loves you. The only people I've seen him get hurt over were myself, Sophie, and you. Jade always protected _him_, and Lucy…well… He kind of just looked out for her."

Before Tea could say anything, the doctor came out into the hallway, shutting the door softly behind him. He looked to be in his forties or early fifties, for his hair was turning from brown to gray, and wrinkles were beginning to form along his forehead and eyes. He was dressed in black pants and a white, long-sleeve, v-neck shirt that had a breast pocket. He smiled down at Mokuba. "Your brother will be fine," he stated. Both Tea and Mokuba let out a unified, relieved sigh.

"So his cut isn't as bad as we thought?" Mokuba asked as he quickly stood up and brushed himself off.

"Well, I wouldn't say that… It is rather bad," the doctor answered. "But he woke up during my examination of the cut and told me what happened. To be honest, I'm surprised he only got away with that. I decided to just give him his check-up now, which was why it took so long for us to get done."

"And…?"

The doctor's smile widened. "He doesn't need anymore medication, save for the painkillers he has for his injury."

Mokuba jumped up in the air while Tea clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "So he's off the prescription stuff now?" Tea questioned.

"For now, yes," the doctor stated. "But I warned him that, in his specific case, the feelings are going to come back from time to time, and that if he feels anything in the way of depression or anxiety, that he should contact me immediately. Don't let your brother think he can just let this thing go; that's not how emotions and memories work. I've been a therapist and doctor long enough to know that. Just make sure he keeps his mind off the past for these next couple of days, for his body is going to have to get used to the lack of treatment."

"_Even the family doctor knows about Seto's bad past,_" she observed as Mokuba nodded his head in understanding at the doctor's words. "_I wonder…_"

"Now Mokuba, I want to talk to this young lady here for a bit," the doctor stated, smiling over at her before returning his gaze to the younger Kaiba. "Could you please leave us alone for a bit?" Seeing confusion on the boy's face, Tea herself was curious as to what the doctor wanted. Nevertheless, Mokuba nodded his head, thanked the doctor for coming over, and walked down the hallway and into a nearby room. Silence filled the hallway once the door shut, and the doctor quickly stepped forward and held his hand out. "My name is Dr. Kelan. I've been the Kaiba family's doctor for nearly twenty years, serving Gozaburo before Seto became the head of the mansion. And you are…?"

"Tea," she answered, shaking his hand and wondering why he was suddenly acting so formal.

"Tea," he repeated, releasing her hand and letting his own fall at his side. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about your relationship with Mr. Kaiba if I could. Are you two in a serious relationship, or are you more friends or even just acquaintances?"

"We…we are currently in a relationship," she answered. "As in he's my boyfriend, and I am his girlfriend."

The doctor bit his lower lip at this bit of information before letting out a sigh. "Has he mentioned anything at all about his past…relationships?"

"I know that a girl named Sophie died while he was dating her," Tea answered, concerned over where this was going. "_Why is a doctor asking me about what I know of Seto's past?_"

"Nothing else?"

"Just that it obviously caused a bit of tension in him, but other than that, no. Why?"

"You see… I'm honestly not really sure whether Seto should be taken off medication or not," the doctor replied, making Tea blink in surprise. "Seto… I've taken care of Mr. Kaiba since Gozaburo adopted him. When Sophie, that girl, died, he was basically in a state of shock. Gozaburo was forced to send him to a hospital because he wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep… He couldn't force himself to function; he had literally given up on life. It was later on that we diagnosed him with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder because of the nightmares he often had while both sleeping and during the day."

"During the day?" Tea remarked, letting the doctor's information sink in.

"Whenever Mr. Kaiba heard anything violent, such as gunshots on a television or screaming, he would lose himself in I guess what you would call a trance. Whatever happened to make that girl die replayed itself in his mind constantly, and it really ate away at him."

"_That's why he turned white in the car,_" Tea thought. "_That gunshot must have reminded him of Sophie… Was that why he suddenly became so protective of me? But wait a minute… What does gun violence have to do with Sophie's death?!_"

"What I'm trying to say, Miss Tea, is that his symptoms are ones that never die," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "He will remember those feelings for the rest of his life, and the only reason I took him off the medication was because it was doing absolutely nothing for him. But now he knows he's on his own, and I'm worried that he won't be able to handle it. Which is exactly why I asked about your relationship to him." Sighing, he said, "Make sure you keep an eye on him over these next couple of days. I'm sure Mokuba will more than willingly do so, but I believe a girlfriend would be better suited for the job."

"Why is that?"

"Because I know Mr. Kaiba has kept many emotions hidden from that boy for his own protection," the doctor whispered. "I know I'm not at liberty to say these sort of things, but I've cared for this boy enough times now to think of him as being close to me. Mr. Kaiba hides things so that others don't worry about him; it's the way he was, unfortunately, raised to think. Hiding something from a girlfriend is a lot harder than hiding it from a family member."

"Seto…lied to Mokuba?" she asked, glancing down the hallway that Mokuba walked down before returning her gaze to the doctor.

"Not lie. Just… I don't really know how else to put it." The doctor sighed before allowing a small smile to appear on his face. "Are you, by chance, hurt anywhere? I understand you two got in quite a mess last night."

"No, thank you," she answered. "But is Seto awake now?"

"Most likely, yes, although I told him no work for today at least. His head needs to heal on its own; no more bandages to cover the wound, alright? Let it breathe and heal itself."

"Okay then."

"Oh, and uh…" Chuckling, the doctor stated, "Have you done anything _sexual_ with the boy?"

A deep red blush covered Tea's cheeks, and even though she put her hand up to cover it, it was a futile attempt. "N-No, not really. Why?"

Dr. Kelan laughed at her reaction. "It's nothing serious, but I would just not do anything like that over the next couple of days. Sex is done sometimes to get one's mind off of troubling events, and I don't need Mr. Kaiba to become a sex addict because he can't handle a death that occurred a year or so ago."

Although the idea itself was rather humorous, Tea understood the importance of what he was trying to say. "_Don't distract Seto from the problem, just help him deal with it,_" she thought as the doctor let out a sigh and looked down at his watch.

"It looks like I should be heading out about now," he stated. "But please, take care of Mr. Kaiba. I… I know he may seem to be invincible in the public eye, but I have seen him suffer on more than a few occasions. I don't want him to have to go through what he did years ago after that tragic accident."

"What…all happened to him?" Tea asked.

"I do not know the details, but I remember Seto…" He turned back towards the door before chuckling. "Let us walk down the hallway. I'm sure Mr. Kaiba doesn't want to know about us talking." Dr. Kelan began strolling back towards the main lobby, and Tea had no choice but to follow.

"Seto called me one day stating that Sophie was bleeding and needed to be taken to the hospital," he began to explain. "He sounded so desperate that I made sure a team of us immediately responded. When we arrived, there was literally blood everywhere. I have no idea what happened, and I've accepted the fact that I will probably never know. But she died that very same day, and Seto…he just broke down." The doctor let out a sigh before shaking his head. "We had to restrain him because he tried to kill himself every chance he had. He relived that part of his life every day, and he didn't want to live with that. Nobody should have to." The doctor frowned and turned to face her. "Do you know if he still has nightmares?"

"So far as I know he does," Tea answered, still trying to comprehend the doctor's words.

"That's what I was afraid of, but…hopefully you will do wonders for him." The two had reached the main foyer area by now, and he turned and smiled at her. "Please take care of him. He needs somebody, but he never could see like that. It wasn't…the way he was trained. Now, I must be going. Tell him to take some medication for his head, but not too much now. Good day, Miss Tea." Tea just stood and solemnly watched as the doctor walked down the staircase and out the door, leaving her alone in the silence of the mansion.

"_If everyone was so worried about him…why did nobody do anything about it?_" she thought. "_If he was suicidal, didn't anybody help him? What…what really happened to Sophie? What did Seto see that he cannot seem to forget? Why… Seto… Did you want to die?_"


	40. C40 Embrace

**Chapter 40 – Embrace**

Slowly opening the bedroom door, she saw the light from the window streaming in onto the bed, illuminating the room and the man that currently resided in it. Seto was sitting along the edge of the bed, his eyes closed and head hanging, a hand clenching his forehead as if in pain. "_His symptoms never go away… The reason that he's so cold to the world…_" Tea could only stare at the man before her. "_Seto is lucky to be alive if what the doctor said was true. I'm finally beginning to truly understand his ways. He'll always remember the past…and he knows it. He never wanted to get close to anyone out of fear of his memories…yet he's the one who tells everyone that the past is for the weak. Is that his way of reminding himself as well?_"

"I don't…blame you for not waking me up," he whispered, breaking the silence in the room. Tea felt a blush beginning to appear, realizing she had been idly standing there, and walked around the bed until she was in front of the CEO.

"We couldn't," she remarked. "Mokuba was literally jumping on the bed, and you just laid there."

"I see…"

Tea smiled and kneeled down so that she was in front of his knees. "It's okay, Seto. We called the school and explained what happened. They said that we won't be required to make up the work since it was more than a simple illness that kept you here."

Her smile slowly transformed into a frown as he continued to sit there, his eyes still shut and hand still placed on the side of his face. "Seto…what's wrong?"

His eyes opened to look into hers, and he shook his head. "I… It's nothing."

"Seto…" Reaching forward, she took hold of one of his hands and intertwined her fingers between his. Smiling up at him, she said, "I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong."

"I told you, it's nothing," he repeated, this time his voice rising in volume slightly as if to make his point. Yet Tea could see past that cold façade he wore in front of the world. She could see clear as day that something was bothering him. The doctor was right; lying to a girlfriend was quite difficult.

But she didn't want to force the answer out of him…not now. She knew it was dangerous to have him keeping his emotions to himself, but she could also understand if he was slightly mentally unstable from the previous night. Letting go of his hand, she stood back up and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look up at her. She blinked in shock; his eyes radiated with…what emotion was that? Guilt? Worry? Whatever it was, it shook her. The normal blue orbs looked as if they were being swallowed by his black pupils. "_He…what's wrong? Does he even really see me, or is he seeing something else?_" "I… Get some rest, Seto," she instructed, releasing her grasp on his shoulder. "The doctor told me that you're not allowed to do any work today, and I'm going to make sure that happens."

Smirking down at him, she wanted to cry when he just continued to stare up at her. No smile, no frown… Just his eyes that were full of a passionate emotion she couldn't pinpoint. The rest of his face showed mere indifference. "_And he won't tell me what's wrong… No wonder the doctor was nervous about taking him off the stuff. Why did he if Seto is behaving this strangely? Is this…an improvement?!_" Tea realized that there was really nothing else she could do, so she turned around and began walking back towards the door. But a sudden noise made her spin back around in surprise only to instantly feel another body against hers.

Seto was now embracing her, his head right next to hers, as his one arm wrapped around her waist, the other resting gently on her back. Taken aback by this sudden motion, she slowly looked over to see his eyes closed, his breathing coming out in short, quick wisps. She didn't know what else to do; she wrapped her own arms around the CEO and placed her head against his shoulder. "Are you…sure you're okay?" she finally asked after a moment or so passed.

"I just… I wanted to make sure you were…alright," he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I told you, Seto, I'm fine," she said, though she sadly knew that 'alright' was not the correct term. Somehow or other, she had the feeling the CEO just wanted to make sure she was really here. His eyes reflected how in-touch he was with what was going on. Placing a hand on his cheek, she turned his face so that he was facing her and smiled at him. "I'm okay, and hopefully you will be soon too."

He just stared at her, searching her face for something that she didn't know. She watched as his eyes slowly went from their dilated, almost glazed over, state to their normal, lovely blueness. After another minute or so passed, he let out a long sigh and brought her closer to him, his hand that had rested on her back now playing with her hair. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice back to normal volume.

"For what?" she asked.

"For worrying you so much. For hiding so much from you. For being…"

"Seto, stop blaming yourself," she stated as she began to rub his back. "You only did what you thought was right. Nobody should be punished for that. We're together to protect each other, to care for each other. That's what…that's what people do when they love each other, Seto."

"Love… So you do really love me?"

Tea's eyes widened at this question. "Of course I do," she replied. "I wouldn't be standing here right now if I didn't."

She watched out of the corner of her eye as he looked over at her before planting a light kiss on her cheek. "I wasn't sure…whether or not this was serious, so I didn't know if you actually wanted to listen to me spilling my secrets out. I never understood the concept of carrying another's burden, but…if we're going to be together…"

Closing her eyes, Tea rested her head against his chest and smiled. "I'll always be here for you, Seto. I'm not going anywhere. Just know that if you need to talk to somebody, I'm right here."

"You're not…" She could feel the CEO tense up and blinked in surprise.

"What? What's wrong?"

"You aren't going anywhere?" It was the mixture of a whisper and a plea.

"No, Seto… I'm not going anywhere. As long as you're here to protect me, I'll be fine."

"You trust me that much?"

"After last night, of course I do. You put me before yourself; that deserves my respect and trust."

"Tea... I can't be trusted like that."

This made Tea frown and stare up at Seto, who was also frowning down at her. "Why not?"

"Because… I'm not good at protecting others."

"Then what did you call last night?"

"Why do you think Sophie died?" he suddenly asked, making Tea blink in surprise.

"I… I don't…"

"I let her die, Tea," he whispered as he hung his head once more. "I don't want the same thing to happen to you. I don't want you getting hurt or killed… You don't deserve that. You shouldn't trust me with your life. I… I've never been good at protecting others. You've seen the lengths I've had to go to in order to save those I loved, but… It all ends in failure. I was caught by Pegasus. I was trapped by not only my own corporation, but my step-father. And I let…I let Sophie…"

Tea grabbed the CEO's chin and made him look directly into her eyes. "You listen here," she stated in a cold voice, making his eyes widen in surprise. "You _saved_ me last night, and I've witnessed on more than one occasion you risk your own life for the sake of somebody else, whether you cared for them or not. You didn't fail, Seto; you did what you thought was right. You have a big heart, but you hide it from everyone including yourself. I don't know what happened to Sophie, but you are _not_ the reason she died, no matter what you tell yourself. I owe you my life, and I will trust you with it whether you like it or not. You need to realize that you mean everything to me, Seto Kaiba, and that I love you more than anybody else on this planet, and that means I will do whatever it takes to take care of you!" Placing her forehead against his chest, she felt tears begin to surface and said, "I don't want you back on that medication, Seto. I don't want you depressed, unhappy… Please don't put yourself down like this. You mean everything to a lot more people than you understand."

Feeling his grip loosen on her, she slowly looked up to see him smiling down at her. He gently moved some of her hair behind her ear before letting his hand slide down her cheek. She merely stood and watched his facial expression as his lips began to quiver slightly into a smile. "You… You're not going anywhere. I promise."

Tea smiled widely. "That's the Seto I know."

"I just… I thought you were gone."

"What? Why?"

"I dreamt last night…that what happened to Sophie…happened to you." His grip retightened around her, and he gently pressed his forehead against hers so that he was looking directly into her eyes, yet his smile remained. "And then…when I woke up to Dr. Kelan, I thought that it really happened. He assured me you were all right, but I wasn't sure if he was lying or not. I'm glad… I'm glad that he wasn't." Closing his eyes, he shivered and whispered, "I couldn't take that again."

"_Gun violence…his depression and anxiety attacks…_" Tea nodded her head in understanding. "I will be here for you," she repeated. "I'm not going anywhere."

Letting go of her, he searched her eyes once more before smiling, turning back around, and walking towards the bed. Sitting back down on the edge, he crawled towards the center of the bed, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. Tea went to say something when they both heard a knock on the door. "Hey, are you two in there?"

Seto smiled and called out, "You can come in, Mokuba." The door opened, and the younger Kaiba walked in and smiled at the sight of his brother. "I thought you had gone back to sleep," he stated as he walked towards the middle of the room. "I want to be the first to congratulate you on having no more medication!"

"Sorry, but she beat you to it," he replied, pointing over at Tea before lying down on his back. Mokuba pretended to pout as he looked over at her.

"Well then I'll be the second!" he countered, running over to the bed and crawling next to his brother. "How is your head feeling, Seto?"

"It…hurts."

"Well, duh!"

Seto smirked and rolled his head over so that he was facing Mokuba and her. "I should be alright by tomorrow, though. I just need to rest right now."

Mokuba's eyes widened in shock. "You're actually _admitting_ you have to rest? What did that doctor do to you?!"

Both Tea and Seto laughed at his outburst, and Seto closed his eyes and shook his head. "I just want to get better, is all. Is that a bad thing?"

"No, but…you're known for pushing yourself too hard."

"I'll be okay Mokuba," Seto insisted. "I think I'm going to take a nap for now, okay? Make sure I'm up by dinnertime. I don't know how long I'll be asleep, and I want to eat dinner with you guys."

"Okay, Big Brother." Mokuba slid off the bed and walked out of the room, but not before smiling widely up at Tea.

"_Proof that Seto really is changing…_" she thought as she turned and went to leave as well. That is, until she heard Seto's voice behind her.

"Tea, wait," he quickly said, grabbing her attention and making her turn to face him. He was staring up at the ceiling now, and she watched as his eyes slowly closed. "I don't want you to go."

Parting her lips but finding nothing to say, Tea nodded her head in understanding and walked over towards the bed, sitting down next to him and grasping his hand. "I'm here…"

She watched a smile slowly form before he whispered, "I know you are." All she could do was watch and wait until his breathing became heavy, his hand lifeless, and his face tranquil, indicating he was fast asleep.

"_Seto… Maybe the doctor was right. You're realizing that you can't rely on yourself all the time, aren't you? You know that you can do this, Seto. I believe in you._" Letting go of his hand, she slowly stood up and thought, "_We all believe in you. Only you don't believe in yourself._"


	41. C41 Blame

**Chapter 41 – Blame**

Had it been a rough day for Tea, and it was only the beginning of lunch by the time she was mentally exhausted. Seto's cut had not healed overnight as the brunette probably wanted, and so nearly every student and teacher felt it was their duty to ask him what had happened. It was only half-way through the day, and Tea had overheard stories of car crashes, CEO assassination attempts, robotic technology, and even one about suicide, which more than unnerved her. "_No wonder Seto doesn't have many friends… They all treat him like he's some superhero_," she thought as she took her lunch out of her locker and began walking towards the cafeteria. "_They really don't respect his privacy at all, do they? I guess that comes with being the CEO of a big corporation, though._"

However, it wasn't the CEO's constant annoyance of the other students that bugged her. It was actually her own group of friends, the trio, which worried her. They all asked her about the CEO's injury, and without thinking she had told them exactly what happened, meaning that she had told them about Seto's employment at the orphanage. Now they wanted answers, and she was forced to once again tell them a secret. Only this time the secret wasn't hers; it was Seto's, a man known for his secrets.

"_How am I going to tell him that they now know he works at the orphanage?_" she thought, leaning against her locker and placing her forehead against the cold metal. "_He already has enough to deal with, and now he's going to find out that I told my three friends one of his biggest secrets. If I don't tell them, they'll never trust me again with anything, but if I do tell them, _he_ won't trust me. Man, I really screwed this up._"

"What's wrong?" a sudden voice asked, making her open her eyes and turn around in surprise. Seto was standing in the middle of the hallway staring at her, his signature glare painted on his face. They had decided to make it look as though they were mere acquaintances in school, never hanging out but talking from time to time. Nothing serious meant no new stories for the tabloids to eat up. It was easy for the kids to read that the two weren't friends; it was easy for her to read the concern in Seto's eyes.

"I…uh, well…" All she could do was look at him. How was she going to tell him? She could see the mark on his face, making her feel even worse. "_I get him hurt, and then I blurt out his secrets. I'm horrible when it comes to this…_"

"Tea, what's wrong?" he asked, taking a step towards her. "You're quiet, and you're never quiet. Obviously something is wrong with the normally cheerful cheerleader."

Tea blinked and let out a long sigh. "_Might as well get this over with…_" she thought, hoping he wouldn't lash out at her for it. "I told… Yugi and the group asked me what had happened last night, and I told them about the car chase."

Seto's eyes narrowed at this. "And what's wrong with that?" he asked slowly, indicating that he was putting two and two together fast.

"And I…told them…about you working in the orphanage."

It had been a whisper so that nobody else could hear it, but it sounded like she shouted it at the top of her lungs, for the most awkward silence she had ever felt in her life suddenly hung over the two. A minute or two went by before Seto asked the question she knew was coming: "Are you serious, Tea?"

It was harsh, but looking back up at the CEO, she could see the worry in his eyes. "_I gave away his cold façade; the wall that he spent years building up I just crushed with my big mouth._"

To her surprise, Seto walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What did they say?" he asked, scanning her face for any sort of information he could gather.

"They didn't say anything," she answered. "They were too shocked to reply since it was at the beginning of class when they asked me. The teacher began talking before they had time to question me, but I know I'm in for it now…"

Seto just stood in place for another moment before letting out a sigh and backing up a step. "Why don't I talk to them about this?" he inquired, making her blink in surprise. "I think it would be easier for them to understand if I personally say it."

"I… That's your choice. I don't really care."

"Okay, but I want to talk to them outside in the courtyard about it. Nobody eats outside, and I don't need the school knowing that fact on top of everything else today. I don't have the energy for it."

Nodding her head in understanding, Tea watched him walk down the hallway and into the cafeteria before following suit. Sure enough, as she entered the cafeteria (and Seto exited out into the courtyard), her friends all looked up in unison and waved her quickly over to the table. She slowly walked over and smiled at her friends. "Hi guys," she whispered.

"We have some questions for you," Joey stated, smiling and pointing his finger up at her. "We think you know exactly why, too."

"Yeah, well… I talked to him about it, and he said he would rather have you question him than me," she answered.

Joey shot up out of his seat and began running outside, the trio already knowing that the CEO often sat out in the courtyard during lunch. Not to eat, of course, but to work. The two quickly followed Joey, and Tea closed her eyes and let out a small sigh before following them outside as well. "_I'm causing so many problems right now…_" She quickly caught up with the group, who was now sitting on the opposite side of Seto, before sitting down next to the CEO at the metal table.

"So… I heard she told you guys about my other job," he began, looking at them all with concerned eyes.

"Yeah," Joey said. "Tea told us you worked at the orphanage."

"That's correct."

"How long have you been doing that?"

"A year and a half now, maybe a little longer," he answered.

"And why are you working there?" Tristan asked, leaning forward on the table slightly.

"I used to go there, and the woman who's now the owner is a good friend of mine," Seto replied, looking down at the metal table with downcast eyes. "I promised her I would help her out when I got older, and you all know that I don't break promises."

"That's awesome, Kaiba," Yugi said. "But why hide it?"

"I don't want that orphanage getting unnecessary publicity," Seto explained. "I know it would be good for the kids to get a little more attention than they do, but paparazzi are dangerous, and they don't need that kind of stress in their daily lives. I try to keep it away from them as much as possible."

"Wow… You really aren't that bad of a person, are you?" Tristan questioned.

"What's the matter with caring about those who are now in the shoes you were once in?" Seto countered. "I know what it's like to lose a family, and I feel it's my duty to help them out."

"That's cool, dude, but… How do you find the time to do it?"

"Whenever possible, I try to go and visit them."

Joey smiled and chuckled. "Who would have thought that you seriously care about little children?" Seto said nothing, but instead opted to continue his glaring down at the table. Tea noted his odd behavior and wanted to say something but couldn't figure out what. "Well, I got nothing else to ask. I just was curious to see why the CEO of KaibaCorp helps out kids."

"It's a secret, Wheeler," Seto stated. "Don't go spewing it out to all your friends, alright?"

"Fine, fine," he replied as he stood up. "Well, I'm going back to eat lunch. Kaiba, I gotta admit, you and I have had our differences, but I think I can see a good side to you after all." He soon walked back into the cafeteria, and both Yugi and Tristan thanked Seto for answering their questions before going back as well, leaving Tea and Seto alone.

"I'm sorry about that," she said after a moment of silence fell over the two. "I know you don't like spilling your secrets out like that. Maybe if I didn't have such a big mouth, I wouldn't have—"

"Tea, it's alright," he interrupted, smiling over at her. "You told them the truth, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"But you were obviously uncomfortable in front of them."

"I don't like talking to others, especially on friendly terms. I'm just…not used to it, is all."

"Still, I feel awful about it. I can never keep secrets. I just end up telling it to others and then cause problems. Maybe I should—"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over to see Seto frowning at her. "Don't blame yourself like that," he warned, his voice deep. "You blame yourself for stupid shit like that, and you'll end up going down the same road I did. You are not horrible just because you told them a secret that you forgot about at the last second. It's okay, Tea. I know that they won't tell others about it, which is fine. It was only awkward to me because I'm not used to it. Don't blame yourself."

"What do you mean, the same road you did?"

"You wonder why I became depressed in the first place? It was all blame, and that's all it ever was. I blamed myself for every little thing that ever happened to Mokuba, Sophie, myself…everything bad was my failure. Don't think like that; it's too dangerous to do so."

"But still…I…"

"You made a mistake. All you can do is learn from that mistake and move on. Just look at me." Smiling slightly, he said, "I saved you, didn't I?"

"And what mistake would that have been from?"

"I…didn't save Sophie."

Tea blinked and bit her lower lip. "_Way to go, Tea._"

"So what stories have the kids in Domino High School come up for this mark?" he asked, smirking over at her and pointing at the cut.

"Oh, I've heard quite a good number," she answered, realizing what he was trying to do and deciding to go with it. "_He doesn't want to remember her…not during school, anyways._"

"Any exciting ones I should know about?"

"Well, somebody wanted to have you dead, but your skull deflected the bullet. Oh, and obviously you knew that your technology was so advanced because you're so intelligent that it attacked you by accident."

Seto chuckled and shook his head before clenching the bridge of his nose. "You wonder why I'm cynical when it comes to our student body."

"Actually no, I don't. Not anymore. But have you checked your cut out with the nurse? It looks pretty bad." The entire area was black and blue, and the cut still looked rather deep.

"No, and I'm not going to. She'll probably send me home, and I have enough work to make up as it is."

"I thought they told me we weren't—"

"I know, but I still have work from the company to do. That will keep me busy for a long time."

"Oh. I forgot about that."

"I wish I could…" Tea glanced over at him to see him sigh and slowly stand up. "Well, now that that's out of the way, I guess you don't have to lie to your friends anymore."

"Again, I'm sorry about that."

"Tea, don't be. Trust me…. You don't want to end up like me." She smiled sadly up at him and watched as he walked back into the cafeteria, and Tea slowly turned around in her chair and began to eat her long-forgotten lunch.


	42. C42 Closer Now

**Chapter 42 – Closer Now**

"Holy shit, kid!" Jade exclaimed as she leaned in closer towards Seto. "You really busted that up! You better have gone to a doctor about this!"

"Yes mom, I did," he replied sarcastically, placing his head in his hand and rolling his eyes. It was Friday night, and Seto had taken both Tea and Mokuba to the orphanage. Mokuba was out watching a movie with the kids, sharing his adventures in school and such, giving Jade time to talk with the couple. Tea had not been the least bit shocked at Jade's reaction to his cut, which looked like it would become a scar rather just heal up and go away. She had literally thrown a fit over it.

"So you got involved with the mob, did you?" she asked, sitting down in a chair next to him and moving strands of hair back and forth to see the cut better. "I've noticed how they've been acting up too. It's starting to worry me, especially since they never used to come around here. The fact that you ran into them on your way home shows that it's spreading out. But seriously, Seto, this doesn't look good at all."

"Jade, for the last time, I'm okay," he repeated, glaring slightly over at her. "I appreciate the fact that you're worried about me, but—"

"—But you're a big kid now, I know. I just worry about you, Seto. It could have been a lot worse than this."

"It wasn't, and that's all that matters."

Jade's eyes widened as she looked over at Tea. "Did you happen to get hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Tea answered, deciding it would be best to not talk in detail over that fact. Seto eyed her when she didn't continue and let the slightest trace of a smile grace his lips; his own personal way of thanking her.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now when did you get this cut checked out, Seto?"

"Wednesday, when I was supposed to have my appointment."

"That's right! How did that go?"

Seto smiled over at her and nodded his head. "I'm off the medication for good now."

Both Tea and Seto's eyes widened as Jade wrapped her arms around Seto, giggling and smiling widely. "Oh, finally! How many years since you've been on that stuff, and now you're finally done with it! I'm so happy for you, Seto!"

"I can tell," he remarked, and Tea chuckled as a blush began to form on Seto's cheeks. Once Jade let go of him, she chuckled and asked, "What did the kids at school say?"

"Oh, you don't want to know," he replied, smirking over at Tea. "I didn't really pay any attention, but she says that there were more stories about me than there are books in the library."

"I see. Well, that's expected out of them. They don't know anything about you, so when you get a scar, it's a big deal to the general public."

"This better not become a scar," he stated, pressing his finger against it. He blinked in surprise, and Tea noted how he didn't show any sign of pain.

"It should clear up soon," Jade said reassuringly. "I'd give it another day or two. Until then, just let it heal itself up."

"Yes mother," Seto repeated, receiving a playful punch from Jade.

"By the way, how is the construction going for the new orphanage?" Jade asked.

"As fast as it can," Seto answered, letting out a sigh. "Ever since that incident, I've been constantly checking to make sure everything is running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. I don't want to have to wait until the mob enters this particular area before we move these kids. They're too close right now in my opinion, but there's not much we can do to stop them."

"Didn't you see who it was that attacked you?"

"We only saw a red car and a motorcyclist," Tea answered. "The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, so we couldn't see him, plus it was in the middle of the night."

"You better hope they didn't see you, or else they'll probably try to find you two."

"I don't think they did," Seto replied. "If so, I'll make sure they're arrested as quickly as possible."

"Good. We don't want to bring them into this orphanage."

Seto glared over at Jade. "I would never allow that to happen."

"I know you wouldn't, Seto, but we have to be extremely careful right now."

Tea folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair. "Jade, I honestly don't think they saw us. It was chaotic enough that we barely knew which road we were on; I don't think they saw our faces or anything like that."

"What about the car?"

"I took it to the shop, and it's being completely redone," Seto answered. "By the time it gets back, you won't recognize it as the original car. I'm giving it a new license plate and everything, so don't worry."

Jade smiled and nodded her head. "I'm glad to see the two of you thought this out and that you're okay. We'll just have to be more careful from now on. Did you run into anything on your way over here?"

"No. I was skeptical about bringing Mokuba at first, but he insisted on coming over, especially since he hasn't visited in a long time."

"You can tell the kids are happy to see him again."

"Yeah, and I think he's just as happy to be visiting."

"So how have you two been, besides the whole car chase incident?" Jade asked, leaning back in her chair and switching her gaze between the two. "I mean, has everything been working out so far?"

"Well…" Tea sighed and said, "My friends now know he works here."

Jade's eyes widened at this. "You mean Yugi and them all?"

"Yeah. They asked about his mark, and I kinda told them all that happened, so they obviously figured out he worked here."

"I see…"

"It's been going well, though," Seto stated. "She thinks it's the end of the world, but I don't really care what her friends think of me at this point."

Jade smirked and said, "As long as you two are in love, then you should be able to work through your problems."

Tea blushed slightly, and she watched Seto smirk back at Jade. "Speaking of which, I hear you have a new boyfriend, Jade."

Jade's eyes went into saucer mode as she gasped in surprise. "How-Who told you that?!"

"Lilith said you've had some guy over once or twice to meet the kids. How is that working out for you?"

Jade growled at Seto. "You always turn a conversation around, don't you? Well, for your information, he's not a boyfriend. He's just a friend. We met while I was going grocery shopping. He was curious as to why I was buying all the food needed for these kids since he was obviously a new worker, and we began talking about my job."

"He's _just_ a friend?" Seto repeated, raising his eyebrow in suspicion.

"You have a lot of nerve, mister," Jade countered, pointing her finger at him. "You kept saying how Tea over here was just a friend and blah blah blah, and then Mokuba tells me he catches you two making out in that grand pool of yours."

"I'm gonna kick that kid's ass," Seto commented as Tea burst out laughing.

"It just proves my point, is all."

Before Seto could give a comeback, the door to the room opened to reveal Mokuba smiling at the three. "Hey, the movie is over, and they all said they're getting ready to go to bed," he stated, walking into the room.

"Good. Tell them I'll be ready to tuck them in within a few minutes."

"Okay!" he exclaimed, running back out into the living room. Both Tea and Seto stood up, and Jade smiled at them.

"You guys gonna leave now?"

"Yeah," Seto replied. "It's getting late, and I still have to take her home."

"Alright. You three be careful now. I don't want… I don't want you to get hurt, alright?"

Tea felt her stomach drop at the connection. Jade just didn't want Seto injured; she didn't want Seto dead…like Sophie. "We will be," Seto stated, and Tea shivered as she felt his hand grasp gently around hers. She looked up to see him smiling down at her before he led her out of the room. "I don't know when I'll be back next week, but I'll give you a call," he said, looking back at Jade.

"Okay. That's fine with me. It was nice seeing you all again."

Mokuba came running back into the room and frowned. "Aww, are we leaving already, Seto?"

"Yeah. Go get your things." Mokuba nodded and grabbed his coat off the back of the couch before walking towards the two.

"It was nice seeing you again, Jade!" Mokuba exclaimed as Seto opened the door for the two. Jade waved goodbye to the three, and Tea walked over to the car as Seto shut the door behind him and followed. He clicked the button on his key to unlock all the doors, and Tea sat in the front passenger side while Mokuba crawled into the back. Seto obviously took the driver seat, put the key in the ignition, and started the car up.

"Are you staying over at our place, Tea?" Mokuba asked as Seto backed out of the orphanage grounds and began driving.

"I don't think so, Mokuba," Seto answered.

"Awww, why not Big Brother?"

"Mokuba, I'm sure she has stuff that she needs to get done at home." Tea looked over to see Seto glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"_Does he truly believe…or want to believe that?_" she thought, looking out the window. "_I don't mind staying over at his place, as it's much nicer than mine, but maybe he doesn't think the relationship is at that point yet. Not that I want to sleep with him or anything…_"

"Well I think it would be awesome if she moved in with us!" Mokuba exclaimed, sticking his head between the two front seats. "Wouldn't that be cool, Tea? You could hang out with Seto and I all the time!"

"Mokuba, she has a life, you know?" Seto argued, now looking down at his brother.

"I know that! But I just think it would be cool! At least spend the night, Tea! We can watch movies and eat popcorn and play video games and—"

Tea had completely forgotten it was the weekend, so it was actually possible to stay up all night at the Kaiba mansion. But… "Only if it's okay with your brother," she said, smiling over at him. She watched him actually grin, showing his white teeth, and chuckle at her comment.

"It always has to be run by me, doesn't it? Fine, I don't care. I told you that you were welcome over any time, didn't I?"

Tea chuckled at the memory of her and Seto sitting eating spaghetti and nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess you did. Well then I can stay."

"Awesome!" Mokuba shouted nearly jumping in the backseat.

"Kid, how much sugar do you have in you?" Seto questioned, glancing in the rear view mirror as Mokuba lied down and pulled a book out of his pocket.

"Oh, not much," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"I thought I told you lying was bad for your health, Mokuba," Seto stated, smiling back at the kid. Mokuba just chuckled and rolled his eyes before he began to read his book. Seto glanced back in the rear view mirror once more before slowly reaching over and grasping Tea's hand again, running his fingers over hers. She smiled over at him and watched as he continued to stare down the road, his smile showing no signs of coming off.


	43. C43 2:30 AM

**Chapter 43 – 2:30 A.M.**

2:30 A.M. That's what the clock read as Tea trudged up the staircase that now seemed way too long for comfort on her way towards her respective room in the Kaiba mansion, the room she had been given the dress with Lucy in. The three had watched a movie before Seto left to do some work, and Mokuba insisted the two play video games for the rest of the night. Tea had to admit that she was better at video games than she ever imagined; she beat the brother of second-best in Duel Monsters more than five times at a game she had never even played before.

But all good things have to come to an end, and as Mokuba fell asleep during their millionth run of Mortal Kombat, so too the night came to a close. She had turned the game system off, placed a blanket over the younger Kaiba, and was now walking down the hallway to her room, where she knew a bed more comfortable than anything she could afford awaited her. "_Leave it to Mokuba to have the best ideas,_" she thought. "_I never even thought of doing anything this weekend, and now I'm spending the night over at the Kaiba mansion. How does that kid always know what to do?_"

Chuckling, she thought, "_Probably because he knows Seto would never go out on a limb to make plans with others. He has to make up ground where his brother blatantly fails._" Tea stopped and frowned before turning around. "_Speaking of which, maybe I should go check on him…_" Shaking her head, she spun back around and headed towards her room. "_No, I'm not his babysitter. I really need to stop thinking like that. Yes, the doctor told me to take care of him, but that doesn't mean I need to check up on him every five minutes like a child. He wouldn't want that, and I wouldn't either. I'll just get ready and go to bed._"

As she opened the door leading into her bedroom, however, she saw a large, light blue shirt and a pair of black capri sweatpants laid out on her bed, a little sticky note placed on the shirt. She smiled, remembering that she had packed nothing to wear, and walked over before pulling the sticky note off the shirt. "'_Hopefully this will be suitable for tonight. There are necessities in the bathroom for your usage. If you need me, you know where my room is.'_" Crumpling the paper up, she tossed it into a nearby trash can and began to change. She had to admit that living in this life of luxury would be pretty amazing; the sweatpants and shirt were just too comfortable. Looking down, she saw the KaibaCorp logo on the breast of the shirt and smirked. "He wears his own logo," she thought aloud.

Walking into the bathroom, she saw a new toothbrush and toothpaste laid out along with shampoo and conditioner in the shower stall. She quickly brushed her teeth, washed her mouth out, and brushed her hair one last time before turning the light off and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "_But still…he did let me stay overnight. Maybe I should go and just thank him for letting me stay. If he's awake, that is…_" Sighing in frustration, she stood back up and thought, "_If I don't visit him, I'll just feel bad. Might as well see if he's up._"

Opening her bedroom door back up, she retraced her steps down the hallway into the opposite wing of the mansion. Turning down several more hallways, she eventually came to the doorway that she knew led into Seto's bedroom. Only one problem: it was shut. "_Do I just barge on in like I own the place or knock and risk waking him up?_" she thought bitterly. Sighing at her inability to think things through, she thought the hell with it and opened the door up only to find…no Seto.

Tea blinked in surprise and couldn't contain her curiosity as she walked into the bedroom and looked around. "_To think that the last time I was in here we were arguing over a different head injury,_" she thought as she glanced around the room. There was no sign of Seto save for the bed covers that were placed carelessly, hinting that somebody had been sleeping but left. "_Maybe he woke up to do some work…?_" Realizing defeat at her attempt, she turned and went to leave when she heard something in the adjacent bathroom.

"_Running water? Is he taking a shower or something?_" Blushing at the idea of walking into the CEO showering, she inched her way forward only to find the doorway open. Taking a few more steps, she saw Seto dressed in black, silk pajamas staring into the bathroom sink that was quickly filling with water and watched as he splashed some of it onto his face. He soon turned the water off and grabbed a nearby towel to wipe his face off before gripping the edges of the sink.

"Are you okay?" she asked without thinking, immediately covering her mouth the second the words escaped her lips. The CEO spun around as if hearing a bullet whiz by and sighed at the sight of her.

"Yeah… I'm fine," he answered. Smirking, he asked, "Did Mokuba keep you up this late?" Tea slowly nodded her head, noting Seto's appearance. There were traces of dark circles around his eyes, and his grip on the sink didn't loosen even the slightest bit. Sadly enough, his injury hadn't healed up any better either. "Where is he?" he asked, shaking her out of her little trance.

"He's downstairs sleeping on the couch," she explained, smirking when Seto smiled and rolled his eyes.

"He fell asleep during the game, huh?"

"Yep."

"Typical. Well, I hope you two at least had fun."

"What did you do once the movie was over?"

"I worked for a bit on some things that needed to get done for the company. I went to bed only an hour ago…and look where I ended up." Seto chuckled sadly and shook his head. "Well, whatever. I'm up now; no use complaining."

"Why are you up if you just went to bed?" she asked, moving out of his way as he entered his bedroom. She watched him lie down on the bed and close his eyes before letting out a sigh. She immediately knew what had awoken the CEO and figured he could be the one to say it aloud.

"It's just nightmares, like always," he answered.

"_Like always…_" Tea walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, smiling over at him. "I'm still here."

He smiled and nodded his head. "I knew you were. It actually wasn't as bad as usual…maybe I'm starting to get over them finally."

"I hope so. That would mean that you are truly doing well without the medication."

Seto smirked and opened his eyes to look at her. "I will do whatever it takes to stay off that medicine. It is really strange, though. Waking up and eating meals without worrying about taking a pill is weird for me…and it shouldn't be." He sighed and rolled over so that he was staring up at the ceiling before blinking and glancing back over at her. "Was there something wrong?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Why did you come into my room? Was something wrong?"

"Oh, n-no," she quickly replied, waving her hand to shake off the question. "I just wanted to wish you goodnight if you were still up and thank you for letting me stay the night."

Tea watched as his smirk transformed into a small, yet genuine, smile, and he reached forward to grasp her hand. "I enjoy you coming over and visiting," he stated, looking up at her. "After all, it's why I consider you my girlfriend. I told myself even before Sophie that I would only date somebody I truly cared about and not be like most men are, where they just look for someone who they consider to be sexy. I wanted to be above that." His smile widened, and he sat up and said, "It should be me thanking you for coming over, not the other way around."

She couldn't help herself; she felt a chuckle emit through her lips and grinned widely at the CEO. "You know, you continually amaze me," she replied when she saw him frown. "You are such a different person to those you care about that if I overheard you say that at work and didn't know you like I do, I wouldn't believe it was you at all."

"Is that…a bad thing?"

"No, no!" she exclaimed, crawling over next to him and leaning against him. "It just lets me know that you honestly care about me and that this relationship means as much to you as it does to me." Feeling him wrap an arm around her shoulders, she let her eyes close and whispered, "I'm so glad to be in this relationship with you, Seto."

"I… Me too, Tea," he whispered back. She looked up at him only to frown at the sight of his wound.

"Has that healed anymore?" she questioned, pressing a finger slightly against it.

"Not really," he answered. "Although when you poke it, it somehow hurts."

Blushing, she withdrew her hand and chuckled. "Sorry, I was just making sure it wasn't a scar."

"No…not yet anyway."

"Do you think it will be?" Her eyes widened slightly; if she was the reason he got a scar…

"I'm not sure. I hope not, though. It will only attract those damn cameras and interviewers, and I don't have time to deal with either of them."

"I hope not either. I would feel so guilty if it did…" Looking back, she watched as Seto lied down on his back, and she quickly crawled up next to him and moved a few strands of hair in order to get a better look at the cut. "It still looks bad."

"I'll be fine, Tea," he said, opening his eyes and looking up at her. She stared in awe at those eyes, for they were completely different from their cold, heartless counterparts. These were like the ones she saw when she first arrived at the orphanage all those weeks ago, radiating happiness even with the sleep dulling their luster a bit.

"I know, but—"

"What did I say about that?" he asked. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her over so that her face was merely inches away from his, making her blush at their sudden closeness. Yet she could see that all humor was out of his blue eyes, the eyes that she was currently losing herself in at this proximity. "It is not your fault. Stop blaming yourself like that! It's dangerous to think like that… Please, Tea."

The fact that he said 'please' made Tea blink in surprise. "The same road that you traveled…?" She meant to think it as the memory of the previous day washed over her, yet it just seemed to roll off her tongue.

"Exactly. Nobody should think like that, especially someone like you who is too nice and has nothing to blame herself for."

Chuckling, she smirked and said, "It's just something I'm good at."

His eyes quickly changed back to the way they were moments ago; happiness with traces of love emitting from them. Those blue eyes really were beautiful…just like the soul of the owner was… Sure he hid it from the rest of society, but didn't that make it even more beautiful when it was revealed? "I want you to keep good at it, too," he whispered. "I don't ever want you to become miserable like I was. You don't deserve that, Tea, and thinking like that will eventually turn you into that."

Tea smiled and leaned down, resting her head against his chest and listening to soft beating of his heart. "Who would have thought you would fall in love with someone who was known for her kindness?" she asked jokingly, grasping his hand once more.

"I guess opposites do attract…"

"And I'm happy they do." She smiled and looked up to see him smiling down at her before rolling his eyes.

"Come on. Let's go to sleep; I'm exhausted as it is." She nodded her head in agreement and rolled off of him only to snuggle up against him as he pulled the heavy blanket over them. She let him wrap an arm around her and closed her eyes, letting his heartbeat lull her off into a peaceful sleep.


	44. C44 You Wondered Why

**Chapter 44 – You Wondered Why**

"Come in," came the muffled voice of Seto as she knocked on the double doors leading into his office. Smiling, she opened the door and walked inside, quietly shutting the door behind her and glancing across the room at the CEO. He smirked and quirked an eyebrow at her. "And what in the hell are you carrying around?"

Looking down at her shopping bag, Tea shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Mai and I went out shopping for some clothing."

"Mai? You still hang out with her?"

"Yes; she and I are close friends." Tea set the bag onto the couch and sat down next to it, leaning back onto the smooth, black, leather seat. "I told you when I first started working at the orphanage how Mai and I always go to the local coffee shop, and every now and then we go shopping for clothing and such."

Seto nodded his head before turning back to his computer on his desk. "Sorry I obviously interrupted something you were doing," he stated as he pulled a manila folder out of his desk, "but I wanted to show you some pictures of the new orphanage."

Tea blinked in surprise and slowly stood up as Seto opened the folder and began spreading out pictures across his desk. Strolling across the room, she smiled at the pictures of people painting walls, new rooms being built, and even several pieces of furniture. "It's definitely not completely done," he continued, pointing at one with several workers laying down wood, "and we don't know how much furniture we truly need. It's getting there, though. Some of the bedrooms are done along with the kitchen and dining room. I'm going to start buying furniture now so that, when construction is complete, we can buy the leftover furniture we need and then move those kids in. It will be a hassle, but the sooner we get them out of that neighborhood, the better."

Tea smiled and casually looked at all the pictures before turning her gaze upwards. Sure enough, the mark from the car incident was still there, although she had to admit that the black and blue mark was dying away. "_It's getting better,_" she thought before returning her gaze to the photos. "_That's all I need to know._"

"What do you think of some of this furniture?" he asked, placing a couple of pictures in front of her. "We don't want the furniture to be too girly or too boyish, as you know how little kids are, so Jade and I decided on blues, reds, and greens for the majority of it."

"What all are you planning on buying?"

"We're going to get a huge entertainment system for the living room," he explained. "The study will have several computers for them along with bookshelves and necessary equipment. We basically have everything for the dining room, which we both agreed wouldn't be all that fancy. The kitchen, well… Jade has the calls on that. She loves to cook, so she wants to design the kitchen however she wants to." Chuckling, he rolled his eyes and said, "That's fine with me. It's her orphanage anyway."

"But _you're _the one who's building it," Tea pointed out.

"And yet she's the one who protected me as a kid," he countered, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I told her I would repay her for that, and now I am."

"Are you still going to help out with the kids once this project is done?"

"Of course. In fact, I'm planning on adopting one of the kids sometime soon."

Tea again blinked in surprise. "W-Who are you planning to adopt?" she asked. "_Should I be upset that he never told me about this? After all, we've been dating for a couple of weeks, but then again, it's only a couple of weeks. We aren't married yet; we just realized how serious the relationship truly is just awhile ago. So should I be angry that he's making plans for a family without my consent?_"

Seto, who seemed to notice her sudden tenseness, closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "I honestly didn't know how you would react to that," he stated. "If it's a problem, then I'm sorry about it. I always promised myself that I would adopt a child, already knowing what those kids go through day-in and day-out, so I'm sorry if having a family wasn't one of your life goals."

"N-N-NO!" she exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her and grabbing the CEO's attention. She saw his eyes widen at her little spectacle and blushed. "I didn't mean that at all! I've always wanted a small family, but a family nonetheless. It's just… I mean…"

Seto's lips parted as a small smile formed on his face. "I know we haven't been dating for very long, Tea, but I can't see us breaking apart anytime soon either." Reaching out to grasp her hand, he said, "I want you to be part of my family, even if we're only dating like the teenagers we really are. No marriage, no contracts…we can just be the way we are now. I just want to adopt her after I graduate high school."

"'Her'?" Tea inquired. "You mean Lilith?"

Seto nodded his head and looked back down at the photos taken of the orphanage. Without looking up at her, he asked, "Is this okay?"

Leaning forward, Tea wrapped her arms around his shoulders and whispered, "Of course it is." She smiled as she saw a slight blush appear on his cheeks.

A loud, ringing noise interrupted the small embrace as the phone began to obnoxiously go off. Tea frowned as Seto quickly pulled away and answered the phone. "Kaiba," he stated, leaning with his elbows onto the desk. She sighed and walked away from the desk, taking one last peek at the photos, before beginning her stroll around the room.

"_What all is there to do in the office of the CEO of KaibaCorp?_" she thought playfully, eyeing the entire room since she figured the phone call would last awhile. "_Let's see… There's a television, but I don't want to interrupt his phone call right now with the news blaring in the background. No games, that's for sure. Books…? He does seem to have a lot of bookshelves._" Hearing him talk to what sounded like another CEO or president of some other company, she smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "_Might as well see what he's got…_"

Tea walked around the room until she was standing in front of the two, wide bookshelves that lined the wall. "_What does he have here?_" she thought as she leaned forward to get a better look. "_These all look like horror or fantasy novels. Is this Mokuba's bookshelf or something? There's a lot of fiction here, that's for sure. I'm sure Seto likes to read these every now and then, but I can definitely tell this is more Mokuba's style of reading._" Smiling, she thought, "_It's nice that he stresses reading so much, especially with those kids at the orphanage. At least he shows this philosophy towards Mokuba too._"

"_What else does he have here…?_" Scanning the spines of the books, Tea thought she would only find science fiction novels in the next bookshelf when she came across a thick, black spine. "_This doesn't look like an ordinary book,_" she thought as she slowly took it out of its place, making sure to remember it so that she didn't screw up the order. The books looked as if they were hardly taken off the shelf, yet she knew it would be just her luck that a maid or janitor would notice the difference, notify Seto, and get him worked up over nothing. It didn't sound like something Seto would do, but who really knew what to expect with him? "_After all, I didn't expect such a kind, caring man behind those cold, menacing, blue eyes he has._"

Opening the large book up, Tea gasped in surprise. It was a scrapbook! Pictures of what looked like a young Mokuba and Seto were placed haphazardly on the sheets of paper, which were laminated to keep them from being ruined. The first page had a picture of Mokuba as a baby, and the next page had one of Seto holding him as a little kid. "_This must be a photo album of when they were kids,_" she realized in awe. "_No wonder it's one of the dustier books here._"

She flipped through the pages, noticing how Seto was growing up right before her eyes. "_And the amazing fact is that he's smiling in almost all of these pictures,_" she noted. "_Mokuba is too, but he always smiles. That kid is so full of energy…and it looks like Seto has that energy in these photos too._"

She could hear the CEO still talking over the phone and decided to flip to the next page. There was a building behind the two in one of the pictures, and Tea recognized the outside courtyard all too well. "_The orphanage…_" This was the first photo that Seto's smile began to fade in. It was a forced smile out of the both of them, to be sure, although Mokuba looked sorrowful while Seto had a glint of anger in his eyes. "_Was this picture taken when they first moved there?_" she wondered, glancing over the next couple of pages. There were pictures of a few other kids, but most were of Seto and Mokuba reading, playing chess, or on the swing set outside.

And then she flipped to the next page, only to gasp in absolute shock. These pictures were totally different. The two were smiling again, only this time they were accompanied by a third person. A girl, who looked to be about Seto's age, maybe bit older, with long, straight, blonde hair and circular glasses. She was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt along with a black, beanie hat, and was giving a thumbs-up to the camera. "_Who is that?_" Tea thought as she looked down over the pictures. There was one where the Kaiba brothers were playing a game of chess, the girl reading a magazine and sitting next to Seto. Another one where she was pushing Mokuba on the swing, Seto getting ready to jump on her back. A fourth one where she was dressed up as a dancer in a long, flowing dress, Seto dressed up as a vampire next to her. A Halloween picture, no doubt. But that meant…

"_This is Sophie!_" Tea concluded. "_This…was her?_" She looked pretty for her age, though Tea now understood where the whole daredevil concept came from. The girl looked a bit quirky in all of the photos, as if she didn't belong in them. One in particular caught Tea's attention; the two were sitting on a curb, melting popsicles in each of their hands, as the two were caught on camera giving each other a small kiss.

"And what are you looking at?" a playful voice asked, making Tea jump up in the air in surprise. Turning around, she saw Seto smiling down at her. "Sorry about that. I needed to arrange a meeting for next week. What are you…doing…" His voice trailed off as he looked down at the scrapbook she was holding, his eyes widening in recognition of the pictures.

"I-I'm sorry," Tea stated, going to close the scrapbook when the CEO pointed at one of the pictures, preventing her from doing such. "I didn't mean to--"

"I remember getting that picture taken," he interrupted, his voice soft. Looking up at him, Tea saw his eyes soften immensely as most likely a wave of nostalgia swept over him. "Mokuba was angry because he wasn't in it. He wanted to dress up as a clock that year, but they had to fix his attire right before we left. We didn't have time to take pictures afterwards…"

Gulping, Tea slowly asked, "Is this…Sophie?"

Seto slowly nodded his head and let out a long sigh. "I haven't looked at those pictures in forever…" Turning around, Seto began to walk back to his desk, and Tea sighed before closing the book and placing it back on the bookshelf. She spun around as well and began walking towards the couch when she noticed the CEO calmly take a seat in one of the comfort chairs. Clasping his hands together in front of his face, he let out another sigh before slowly opening his eyes, their normal luster now dull and unfocused. "She died in this very room, you know?" he whispered.

"She…what?" Tea asked, leaning forward to hear more clearly. "_Did he just say—_"

"She died…in this very room," he repeated, his voice rising in volume only slightly. Tea took her seat on the sofa and frowned. This suddenly wasn't the Seto she knew. "It took all my willpower not to move the office when I became CEO here at KaibaCorp. I wanted to so badly, but that would just attract attention, and attention was something I was trying to stave off at that point. Besides, nobody knew about her death… I couldn't have people prying into her life."

Tea looked around the floor in wonder. "She died…in here?" she asked, pointing down at the floor. Seto merely nodded his head.

"It was a little after Gozaburo began abusing me," he continued, his eyes still unfocused. "He first started it just to show his power over me, yet I continued doing many things that I did at the orphanage. Dating Sophie was one of those. He didn't know I had a girlfriend, but one day when she came to visit, she noticed my bruises from a particular beating. She… She had no idea what was going on and stormed into Gozaburo's office, me tagging right behind her trying to stop her. I knew of his cruelty…and she didn't."

"She marched on in, demanding to know what had happened to me, and she probably scared Gozaburo at first. After all, he didn't know whether or not the police would learn about my treatments. When he realized who she was and her relationship with me, he…he…" Tea noticed his breathing become quick, rigid, almost forced. "He pulled out a pistol and shot her. Three times. One pierced her heart, the other two in her stomach. He left her here, in this very room, to die… He told me it was my responsibility to call the cops and that he would fabricate a story for them to buy into. If I told them what had happened…he threatened he would do the same to Mokuba."

All Tea could do was stare at the man before her. Seto Kaiba, the most stoic man on Earth, the cruelest man on Earth, the richest snob of Domino City…all those nicknames fell by the wayside with what she now saw. His entire body shook at the memory of his lost girlfriend, his hands covering the tears that were threatening to surface. Even his voice had dropped back down in pitch, and the idea of speaking seemed foreign to him, as his words came out like badly memorized lines. "I couldn't get Mokuba into that kind of trouble, and I immediately called Dr. Kelan to come and help Sophie. But… I was too late." He leaned back in the chair and let his head roll back, letting out a long sigh and not caring as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "She died in my arms in this very room. I never forgave Gozaburo for that…and I never forgave myself for that either."

"I…" Tea was at a loss for words. There was nothing she could say to that confession. Nothing at all would mean a thing. What _could_ she say that would erase the memory of watching a loved one suffer?

"You wondered why I was on so much medication?" he asked, not bothering to raise his head. "You wondered why I was so skeptical about entering a relationship? You wondered… You wondered why I always promised myself to protect you?" Another tear fell. "I didn't want you to end up like her, like Sophie… She didn't deserve to die like that. Nobody does…"

Tea quickly stood up and walked over to the CEO, wiping his tears away and smiling down at him. "I… Thank you for telling me, Seto," she whispered, sitting down in his lap and wrapping her arms around his shoulders once more. "Thank you so much."

It seemed as though all secrets were now gone, now done with between the two. She now understood his past and what shaped him. Sophie didn't just die; she was _killed_ in _his_ arms. It all made sense now. His behavior towards others, of pushing them away…of the car incident, where the gunshot startled him…of his over-protectiveness towards friends and loved ones… "_It all makes sense now._"

"I'm not going to be able to do any work now," he commented, raising his head slightly to look up at her. A small smile formed on his face, and he asked, "Do you want to go get something to eat?"

Her smile widened as she tightened her grip around him. "I would love to, Seto," she answered. This seemed to be fine enough an answer, for he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Thank you, Tea…for everything."

And rather than giving off her usual speech on how he did everything, on how he helped himself, she realized that he was not in that state of mind. Instead, she replied with a simple, "You're welcome," before closing her eyes and kissing Seto on the cheek.


	45. C45 Truly Changing

**Chapter 45 – Truly Changing **

"Hey brother! I'm going to… Is something… Did something happen?" Mokuba whispered as the two watched Seto quickly walk up the stairs and turn down the hallway without saying a single word to his younger brother. Tea smiled and nodded her head before placing her hand on Mokuba's shoulder.

"It's nothing you did," she stated, making Mokuba blink in surprise and glance up at her before returning his gaze upwards to the staircase.

"Then…why didn't he say hello when I greeted him, like he always does?" he questioned.

Tea sighed, realizing it was going to be her responsibility to inform the boy. Not that she minded, but she didn't exactly prepare a speech for him either. "Why don't we go and sit down?" she asked, trying to keep her voice upbeat to assure him that nothing was really wrong. He didn't seem to buy it, for he sulked into the next room and plopped down on the couch. Tea sat down beside him. "We just…had a big discussion today," she answered.

Mokuba slowly looked over at her and frowned. "What about?"

"A couple of things, really," she replied. She leaned back into the couch and smiled at the boy. "It started when he…he explained to me what had really happened to Sophie."

Mokuba's eyes widened until saucers could find competition. "He…did what?" he whispered in awe.

Tea nodded her head. "He told me what occurred between him and Sophie, up to and including her death. I know… I know now how much of an inhuman person your step-father was."

Mokuba's lips quivered as his gaze slowly found its way to the floor. "He said he would never tell anyone about that… Why did he tell you?"

"He was on the phone when I took out a book from his rather large bookshelf," she explained. "I opened it up to see that it was a scrapbook and began looking through it when he came up from behind me. It scared me, and I went to put it away. He noticed the pictures of you three, however, and began to tell me what was going on when they were taken. He then…continued to explain to me what had happened to her."

Mokuba closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "So you now know that she was killed?"

"Yes. And…I'm sorry."

"Don't tell anybody. Not a soul. Seto promised to never utter a word about that incident, though I understand why he told you. Still, we made a deal to let her rest in peace, and that means not discussing her. It's…the least she deserves."

Tea nodded her head even if the boy couldn't see it. "I understand."

Mokuba opened his eyes and smiled over at Tea. "At least now I know you two are in a serious relationship. I know Seto wouldn't tell someone who he didn't fully trust. I'm…happy for you two. But…is that why he was quiet when he came in?"

"I think so," Tea replied. "We went out to eat after he told me, claiming that he wouldn't be able to get anything done with her on his mind. It was a peaceful dinner, but we didn't talk about much. I think he was thinking about it, and I figured I would just let him go."

Mokuba sighed and shook his head. "And now he's probably sulking in his room…"

Tea's eyes narrowed at this. "What do you mean?"

"Seto shuts down when he thinks about her," Mokuba explained. "It's why he was on so much medication to begin with, remember? Now that he's thinking about her…who knows what he's thinking. I constantly tell him it's not his fault, but he doesn't believe me. He'll always think it's his fault that she died when it was that…that bastard of a man we were forced to call our step-father!" Mokuba's hands had tightened into fists as he said this, tears beginning to form at the edges of his eyes.

"Mokuba, it's alright," Tea quickly said, standing up and placing both hands on the boy's shoulders to calm him down. The boy looked up and blinked back the tears as he forced his fists to unravel themselves. "_Both of these boys can't deal with the memories of Gozaburo,_" she sadly thought. "_The very idea of him invokes such rage and depression in them… And though Seto becomes more emotional over it, Mokuba is just as upset about that part of his life as his older brother is. He just…hides it more._"

"Tea, can you make sure Seto's alright?" he suddenly asked, looking up with pleading eyes. "I already promised a friend I'd be staying the night. I can't stand being in this mansion all the time, and I think it would be best for me after what you just told me."

"Oh, but I didn't tell you the best part!" Tea exclaimed, knowing this would cheer the boy up. Sure enough, his eyes went from pleading to curious within seconds, making her chuckle. "Seto and I are planning to adopt one of the kids from the orphanage once the two of us graduate!"

A large grin immediately crossed the boy's face as he jumped up in surprise. "What!?"

"That's right! So you won't just have to deal with me, but once we're done with school, you'll have somebody else to hang around!"

"Who is it? Who is it!?" The boy was beside himself with excitement.

"_It got his mind off of Sophie,_" Tea noted, letting go of the boy's shoulders and winking. "That's a secret."

"No way!" he shouted. "You can't do that to me!"

"Sorry, but it's your brother's orders."

"Grrr, that jerkface!" he exclaimed. Placing his hands on his hips, he asked, "Does the lucky kid know he or she is being adopted!?"

"Nope; it's going to be a big surprise."

Mokuba smirked and rolled his eyes. "At least I'm not the only one out of the loop." Sighing, he said, "Well, I'm going to get ready to go to my friend's house. If I see Seto, I might have to kill him for keeping this a secret!"

"Please don't," Tea remarked, chuckling at the boy's antics. "And at least it will give you something to look forward to in the future."

"Yeah…like a couple months' future," he countered. "Well… I hope Seto feels better, and tell him I said so. I'll see you!" Waving up at her, he quickly ran out of the living room, taking his cellphone out of his pocket as he ran, most likely trying to get a hold of his friend.

Tea burst out laughing at the younger Kaiba. "_He is so unlike his brother when it comes to the past. Mokuba can just let things go; he knows that he has to continue living his life. Is that what Seto wants to do but feels he can't? He can never just shake off an incident; he dwells on it, wondering why it was his fault._" Tea's eyes widened as she thought this. "_Is that what he meant by the road he traveled? He doesn't want me to dwell on the past and the mistakes I've made. He wants me to be easygoing like Mokuba._" Smiling, Tea began walking out of the living room and up the staircase. "_I can be like that. It's what I'm good at._"

Once she reached the second floor, she began walking down the hallway towards Seto's bedroom. She had memorized the pathway one had to take to reach his room; she would be extremely embarrassed for getting lost in her boyfriend's mansion. She finally reached the door and knocked, blinking in surprise when she heard no reply.

"Seto…?" she asked, grasping the doorknob and twisting it. The door opened up, and she stepped forward to see the CEO lying on his stomach on the bed, his head facing the opposite direction. "_Did he…go to sleep?_" she thought in shock, shutting the door behind her and taking another step forward. Sauntering over to the bed, she looked down to see his eyes closed, a small smile on his face. "You look so peaceful when you're asleep…" she thought aloud, brushing a few strands of hair out of his face.

"Too bad I'm not," he remarked, making her gasp in surprise as his eyes slowly opened. He frowned and asked, "Where's Mokuba?"

"He went to a friend's house," Tea explained, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I told him what you and I had discussed, and he said it would probably be best if he left the house."

Seto sighed and shook his head. "I swear he feels worse about the incident than I do, and it wasn't even his fault."

"It wasn't your fault either."

Seto glanced up at her before letting out a small chuckle. "No… I guess not."

"Oh, and I told him we were planning on adopting somebody when we get out of high school," Tea continued. "I didn't tell him who, though, and he wants to kill you for keeping it a secret now."

He laughed at this, and Tea smiled as the CEO's eyes lit up. "He'll just have to deal with it. I appreciate you telling him what happened, though. I know I should have done so, but I'm just trying to clear my mind out right now."

"It's okay. I think he understood after I explained what happened."

"He always understands…"

"It's because he knows he can trust you, Seto," she replied, lying down so that her head was resting on his back. She closed her eyes and smiled as she felt him place a hand over hers.

"The new orphanage should be done soon," he stated, obviously wanting to change the subject even if they had already discussed the subject a few hours ago.

"_He's too modest for his own good,_" she thought. "I thought it was going to take a few more weeks?"

"I obviously underestimated the work ethic of my workers, for once. They left a message saying it would be done by the end of next week."

"That's really good to hear."

"I want Jade to take a tour of it before we move those kids in just in case there's anything else she deems necessary," he continued to explain. "She's going to be the one in charge, and she'll throw a fit if anything is missing."

"And then the kids will be moving in…?"

"Yeah."

"What about Lilith? Will you have her move in just to be adopted?"

"I think it would be good for her, actually. I want her to really befriend those kids, and I can tell she's still warming up to them. If she stays there a bit longer, then I think when we adopt her, she'll at least have friends to visit in case she wants to get out of the house."

"You want her to be like Mokuba?"

Seto chuckled. "I'm not sure to that extent…but I don't want her like me, just sitting in an office or in my bedroom all day long."

"What if someone tries to adopt her?"

"I'm going to tell Jade that I plan on adopting her. That way, should anyone come to visit, she can tell that person that Lilith is already being adopted."

"How do you think Lilith will react to that?"

"I don't think anyone will come to adopt those kids. People who want to adopt are few and far between these days. However, if that becomes the case, I'll tell Lilith about us planning on adopting her. I could never allow her to think of herself as unwanted."

"You're such a good daddy," Tea stated jokingly. Feeling the grasp around her hand tighten, she glanced down to see a smile on her boyfriend's face.

"And I hope you're a good mother," he countered.

"I'll be the best I can be as an eighteen-year-old."

"Age doesn't mean anything. Some people who are in their thirties don't deserve to be parents. You're responsible and trustworthy, two traits that are needed to be a parent. I think you'll be fine."

"We'll see…"

Hearing the CEO let out a long sigh, Tea slowly sat up and looked down at him. "I'm going to go put the clothes that I bought away," she explained as she stood up.

"Have fun." She smirked and placed a light kiss on his cheek, noting the sudden blush that made itself visible on his cheeks. "Yeah, yeah… Keep embarrassing me like that. I think I'm going to take a shower."

"Oh, so what if I do this?" she asked, deciding to take a chance and jumping on top of him back, straddling him.

Seto quirked an eyebrow and opened his eyes. "Are you trying to start something?" he asked in a sly voice.

"What if I am?" she countered, giggling down at him.

"I'm getting a shower," he repeated. "I think you're in my way."

"You _think_ or you know?"

"You're trying to get something," he observed, slight annoyance hinted in his voice yet keeping a playful tone. "What do you want?"

"To annoy you."

"What are you? Mokuba?"

Tea giggled and shook her head before crawling off of her boyfriend and kissing his cheek once more, staring into his beautiful, blue eyes. "Nope, I'm your girlfriend."

He smiled and slowly pushed himself up before crawling off the bed, standing up, and pulling her up as well. "On second thought, I think a bath is in order…" Wrapping his arm around her waist, he smiled mischievously and added, "And I think you're coming with me."

A large blush covered Tea's cheeks as she tried to maintain her composure. "O-Oh am I now?"

"Oh, so you can make me blush but I can't make you?"

"I-I didn't say that!"

"Just remember you started this," he stated before pressing his lips against hers. She started to kiss him back, feeling his hands wander up and down her back, and was happy that she took this chance. She was also happy that Mokuba had left to go to his friend's house yet again.

"_If Seto can push all events aside just for us…_" she thought as he led her into the bathroom, "_…then he is truly changing._"


	46. C46 Appreciation

**Chapter 46 – Appreciation**

Tea and Jade pushed the main door open and walked into the main living room before shutting the door behind them. The two had been convinced by Seto to go and check out the new orphanage, the brunette hoping it was exactly what Jade wanted. Both Kaiba brothers were watching over the kids at the orphanage, giving the two the time to do so.

Tea heard Jade gasp in surprise and watched her take a few steps forward before looking around the entire room. The floor was a beige wood paneling, and the walls were white with light blue diagonal lines painted on. Most of the furniture was a dark blue color, but the large entertainment system was made of mahogany wood, housing a rather large television and the gaming systems. There was a small bookshelf filled with some of the books Tea and Seto had moved from the orphanage, and a long coffee table centered in front of a sofa facing the entertainment. A love seat was placed vertically beside the other sofa, making a sort of corner.

Tea had seen the entire orphanage, as her and Seto had been moving things to and from the orphanage for the past week, but it still amazed her what Seto had accomplished in so little time. And by the looks of it, every cent had paid off. There wasn't a thing left unchecked; all furniture had been purchased and delivered, most of the possessions at the old orphanage were being packed away, and the kids were bouncing around with anxiety, wanting to see their new home.

Glancing over at Jade, Tea saw the woman's hands, which were clasped firmly together in front of her face, shaking as she slowly walked around the room, looking at all there was. "My God… I didn't think it would be this big of a place," she whispered. She walked back over to Tea, a large smile evident behind her hands. "Lead the way, tour guide."

Tea chuckled and bowed slightly. "Right this way, please," she mocked, getting a chuckle out of a Jade as she led her employer through an archway into a rectangular room. The floor was the same, but the walls were now a dark red color. "This is the dining room," Tea stated, though she didn't really know why. The long, glass table with black supports and black chairs would have easily given it away.

"I see…" Looking up, Jade asked, "And does that particular doorway lead into the kitchen?"

"Yep," Tea answered, watching her walk over and open the dark wooden door. She gasped again in surprise and ran inside, and Tea giggled before following her inside. The counters were light wood, while the counter tops were a green marble. The floor was simple white linoleum, and the walls were painted green and yellow stripes. Boxes were on the counter tops with silverware, dishes, and other appliances inside them.

"He knew I would give him a hard time if the kitchen wasn't done perfectly," she stated, placing her hands on her hips and taking a look around. "I guess he really took that to heart; it's exactly how I said I wanted it."

Tea smirked and walked back through the doorway, leading her back through the dining room into the living room. Jade soon came up behind her and asked, "Do you know if there's a bathroom on this floor?"

"Yeah," Tea answered. "Here, it's right around the corner." Leading the woman through another archway, Tea pointed to her right and smiled. "It's right at the bottom of the staircase. This one just has a toilet and sink in it, but the ones upstairs have showers in them. I think he may have put a bathtub in one or two of the bathrooms as well."

"I see…" Looking to the left, Jade nodded her head and began climbing up the staircase, Tea following behind her. "Is the study up here? He mentioned building a room just for the kids to do homework in and such."

"It's between the two bedrooms." Once the two reached the top of the stairs, Tea began pointing down the hallway in the opposite direction. "Your room is in the back there," she began to explain. "Then there's a personal bathroom for you. I believe that's one that has a bathtub in it. Then there's the girls' room, followed by the study, and then the boys' room at the end here. Bathrooms are located right here, next to the staircase again. Again, there's one for the boys and one for the girls."

Jade just stood in awe, listening to Tea explain the layout, when she began walking down the hallway, opening each door up to take a peek inside the room before continuing on to the next one. Tea decided to just let her wander and waited until she reached the end of the hallway, which was where her room was located.

"_I wonder if she likes it or not,_" Tea thought as she leaned against the railing. "_Seto was so worried about her visiting the place, as if she was going to hate it or something. But from her reaction so far, I think she really likes it. Hell, I would!_"

Once Jade walked back to Tea, she let out a long sigh and smiled widely. "This is…everything I wanted out of the orphanage," she whispered, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay him for this."

"I think if you tried to, he'd yell at you and say it was nothing like he always does."

Jade chuckled and nodded her head in agreement. "Still… This is absolutely amazing. The kids are going to love this place so much… I…"

Tea blinked in surprise as she watched a teardrop fall down Jade's face. She quickly went to brush it away, but another one fell in its place. "I've never had anyone do anything like this for me. This really is the greatest thing he could have ever done for me."

"Hey, he cares about those kids as much as you do," Tea insisted. "I'm sure he did this for you as well as those orphans."

"I know…and that just makes this all so much better." Deciding it was better to let the tears fall, Jade let her hands fall to her side as she leaned against the railing next to Tea. "He really is one of the best people I've ever met. I know he acts so callous and cold out in the real world, but he's suffered, and suffering changes people. I won't be able to thank him enough for this."

Tea smiled and wrapped her arm around the woman's shoulders. "I think if he saw you now, he would be beside himself with happiness."

This made Jade go over the edge, and she suddenly burst into tears. "I…I've taken care of him since he was a little kid," she explained, trying to talk while wiping away her tears. "To think that my actions meant this much to him… It makes me really happy to be a part of his family."

Tea blinked in surprise but then understood what she meant. "His dysfunctional family of orphans…"

Jade smiled and nodded her head. "We're all just one big family when you think about it. We care about each other, and we take care of each other. Like you just said, Seto did this for the orphans as much as he did for me. His family is his everything…and the fact that he really considers me part of that family…" Chuckling, she said, "…It makes me cry."

"_Seto…if only you were here to see the reaction you caused out of this woman,_" Tea thought, giving Jade some silence. "_She's so ecstatic over what you've done for her, and yet you always thought of yourself as somebody who was cold and merciless. You are in the business world, but…in the real world…you're so caring for others._"

"Oh shit, I hate crying like this," Jade complained as she wiped the last of her tears away. "I'm just… I get emotional when people do things for me. I've had to work my ass off to keep the orphanage where it is today, and now that we have this… There's so much I'll be able to do with those kids. They'll be so much happier."

"Hey, tears of joy are healthy tears!" Tea insisted, letting go of her and walking in front of her. "Besides, if you weren't emotional about it, I'd have to say you were one tough nut to crack. If someone offered me a brand new place to stay, I'd be crying tears of joy too."

"This isn't just about having a place to stay," Jade stated, smiling up at her. "This is him showing me how much my protection over him and Mokuba in that orphanage meant to him. This is him showing his love for those kids who don't have a home, much like he did for a portion of his life. This is him providing these kids with the means of fulfilling their dreams, no matter how strange or exotic they seem. This is… This is him making a future for those kids that society has tossed aside."

Tea just watched in awe as a new set of tears began to fall down Jade's cheeks. Chuckling, she wiped them away and said, "I really need to stop this."

"Hey, if it means that much to you…you should let the tears fall."

"I know, but I'm a badass woman, and that means no tears!" she exclaimed. "How do you think I protected Seto and Mokuba? Sure, my father was the head of the place, but that didn't stop a lot of kids. I had to build up a reputation, you know?"

"The enforcer, huh?"

"Didn't we already go over this? The protector, not the enforcer." Blinking in surprise, Tea remembered their discussion and chuckled.

"It seems like forever ago when we had that discussion…"

"Yeah, and you didn't even love Seto then."

Tea's eyes widened. "Yeah, I guess I wasn't…"

"I'm really happy for you two, you know? I mean, Seto told me about his plans to adopt Lilith, which I think is a really good move. He always wanted to have a small family, one that he could return home to at night after work and be around. He was never one for having five or six kids, but he always stated he would adopt, and he only wanted one or two kids. This is a really big step for him in the right direction."

"Having a family for almost everyone is a big step…"

Jade smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess so… I hope Mokuba will be okay with it, though."

"Oh, he's beside himself with wanting to know who this mystery person is."

"So he knows you two are planning to adopt?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't know which kid. He was furious when I wouldn't give him an answer, but Seto told me not to tell."

"That's Seto for you. Mischievous little bastard." Tea chuckled and nodded her head in agreement. "So what do you think of having a family with Seto? I mean, you two haven't been going out for a very long time, yet you're already planning on adopting."

"We talked about it last week," Tea admitted. "I'm happy with it, to be perfectly honest. It's funny how we both match with our future plans; he wanted a small family, and so did I."

"See? You two aren't so different after all!"

"Yeah, I'm understanding that more and more."

"Well…enough of this emotional stuff." Wiping the last of her tears away, Jade smiled and widely and said, "We should probably head back. Who knows what those guys are doing right now?"

"Hopefully not setting off fireworks," Tea remarked as the two began their descent down the stairs.

"Ugh, don't even mention that. It took a lot to keep those two in the orphanage after that prank."

Tea chuckled nodded her head in understanding. "_Seto…you're such a mischievous person. You really do act your age sometimes. You…are so different from when I first met you…or are you? Whatever the case is…I was right. You mean everything to a lot of people...including me._"


	47. C47 It Hits Home

_Okay, so first of all, I owe a huge apology to each and every one of you guys for suddenly quitting the concept of updating. Between band and school, I did not have the time or the energy to focus on this story. I know I have updated my other stories, but this story is drawing to its end, and I wanted to make sure that I produced only the best quality to my abilities. I knew that with the time crunch I was given, this story would not turn out the way I wanted it to. _

_So I apologize to all my fans out there who have been waiting patiently for an update that was never given. Hopefully these updates to come, leading up to the eventual conclusion, will satisfy you all. I can't say I'm sorry enough, but just know that I WILL finish this story for you all! I won't let you down!! _

_And now, onto the chapter that you all have been waiting for!

* * *

  
_

**Chapter 47 – It Hits Home**

Tea watched the children playing outside through the window, smiling as they chased each other around and played childish games that most, if not all, adults remember playing at some point. She was sitting on the couch, one of the only pieces of furniture left in the orphanage, leaning against it so that she could see them clearly without having to stretch out too much. Seto and Jade were packing away the remainder of the furniture pieces and toys, for in two days Jade planned on taking the children to the new orphanage, so Tea was in charge of making sure the kids behaved. It was pretty simple, really. All of the toys and entertainment devices had been packed away, anything from books to video games to movies, so the kids had little to do inside. Jade told them all to go out and play, and despite what Tea first thought would happen, the kids had remained entertained for three hours running outside. Chuckling, she thought, "_And they don't look like they'll be tired or bored anytime soon._"

Watching them all run around, Tea smiled at the sight of Lilith hanging around the other girls as they swung back and forth on the swings. "_She's finally starting to make friends with the other kids. Maybe Seto was right about keeping her around them for awhile longer. I was a little skeptical at first, but I can see that the social environment is really doing her some good. I guess he wants her to have friends before going to school, knowing nobody there. It's going to be so tough for her…_"

Hearing the door open, Tea spun around to see Seto and Jade walk in, Jade carrying two small boxes with Seto pushing a large one in behind her. She had to chuckle at the sight of him; nobody would have recognized him to be the CEO of KaibaCorp. He was wearing black jeans, sneakers, and a red t-shirt. His facial expression showed not the coldness or the usual angry demeanor, but kindness and passion for what he was doing. Watching him pack these boxes over the past couple of days allowed her to truly see Seto. Not Seto Kaiba, the CEO of KaibaCorp. Seto, the older brother of a kid he adored and an employee at an orphanage that he once lived in and whose kids he cared whole-heartedly about. Anybody who thought he was heartless would have gasped as the scales fell from their eyes at this sight.

"Well, that should be about it!" Jade exclaimed victoriously, slapping her hands together and grinning widely. "About one or two more boxes, and we should be good to go!"

"You excited?" Tea asked, smiling over the two as she peeked outside, making sure the kids were still behaving.

"Hell yes, I am," Jade stated as she plopped down onto the nearby recliner. Seto silently walked across the room and sat down next to Tea, winking at her before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh.

"Aww, is the businessman tired out from all the physical labor?" Tea jokingly asked, sticking her tongue out when Seto opened and rolled his eyes at her.

"Hey, I can't even bust on him for this like I normally would," Jade defended, smiling over at the couple. "Moving boxes all day can get pretty rough."

"Yeah. I'm happy you guys gave me this tough job. These kids are so horrible."

Jade chuckled and sarcastically said, "Yeah, I know. They don't know any of the rules around here. I don't know how I keep them in line."

Smirking, Tea glimpsed outside to see Steven chasing Harem around in a circle. "Those kids have so much energy…"

"It's good for them," Seto stated. "At least they have some creativity to keep themselves occupied."

Tea smiled and watched as he slowly closed his eyes. "You look dead tired," she thought aloud.

"I _am _dead tired."

"So what are your guys' plans for the rest of the day? You gonna keep packing things up?"

Seto let out a long sigh and opened his eyes, rolling his head over to see Jade, who was staring back at him. "Whatever you need to get done, I'm free to do," he stated, though the tone in his voice mimicked that of a child who didn't want to do anymore chores.

"We're both tired," Jade said. "Let's take a break. Besides, we still have another whole day to work. We don't need to push ourselves this hard for nothing, especially since we're almost done."

"Sounds good to me," Seto replied, leaning back more into the couch and smiling.

"Wow. I think this is the first time I've ever seen you being lazy. Even as a kid you were always doing something."

"I wasn't moving boxes around day and night as a kid either."

"Point taken." Letting out a yawn, Jade slowly stood up and asked, "Do you guys want something to drink? I'm going to go out and get us something to eat. These kids can have leftovers for dinner; we deserve something special."

"I'll have a soda and something small to eat," Tea stated. "Doesn't matter. If they have any good appetizers, just order one for me."

"Alrighty then. And you, Seto?"

"Where are you going?"

"I dunno."

Seto smirked. "Way to go. I don't care. Just get me something good to eat."

"Alright. A pile of shit for Seto, and something good for Tea. Got it." Seto growled as she walked out the front door, and Tea watched as she strolled through the group of kids, stopping to presumably tell them that she and Seto were still watching them from the window. Well, she was anyways. Seto looked like he was about to pass out. Waving goodbye to the kids, Jade got into her car and drove out.

"You're going to sleep good tonight," Tea noted, placing her hand on top of his and noticing the smile that slowly began to form.

"Yeah, but I'm happy I helped her out. I would have felt bad if I hadn't helped her pack at least a couple of things."

"I hope you know she's really appreciative of everything you've done."

"I know. And I'm happy she is, but she deserves this new place. The kids do too. They've lived here all their lives; a change in environment will hopefully be something good for them."

"They seem to be really excited about it. They're all so anxious about moving."

"That's just natural. I'd actually be scared if they weren't the slightest bit phased by moving to a new location."

Tea placed her arm on the back of the couch and laid her head down, her other hand still grasping Seto's hand. "What was it like…moving out of the orphanage and into Gozaburo's house?" she whispered as she scanned the playground for all the kids.

"I didn't really think about it, to be perfectly honest," he answered, glancing over at her. "I was just thinking about getting Mokuba a new home. When we first arrived, I could tell I wouldn't like the place, but he was so excited about how big the mansion was…" A small smile crossed her boyfriend's lips, and she briefly wondered whether he had done it voluntarily or not. "I guess, looking back on it now, I was kind of happy to get out of the orphanage. The kids weren't a large group of friends like they are now. We had our own cliques, and each clique treated the other cliques like dirt. It was a horrible place to grow up…that's why I worked so hard to get Mokuba out. I—"

A sudden noise interrupted the two, and Seto frowned as he took out his cell phone and looked at the caller ID. Answering it, he held the phone up to his ear and said, "What's the matter?"

"'_What's the matter?_'" Tea thought, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "_Is it Mokuba? Jade?_"

"I see. I'll be on the lookout. Thanks for the update." Closing his phone up, she watched him let out a sigh.

"What's wrong?" she asked, noting the tenseness in his hand.

"Oh, there's a car chase going on," Seto stated as he quickly stood up. "She says that the car is heading in this direction, but she isn't sure whether they'll pass by or not. Still, we want to be safe, so—" Once again, Seto was interrupted by a noise, though this one was much more unnerving. It was the sound of police cars.

It was distant, but enough to make Tea and Seto jump and run outside. "Kids, it's time to come inside!" Seto shouted as he ran out into the main area. "Come on, let's go!" Several of the kids immediately dropped what they were doing and ran inside, while others began placing their things back from where they got them. "You'll be outside later, don't worry about it," he assured them. Tea stood next to the doorway, hurrying them inside without acting as though there was something going on.

"_The last thing we need to do is upset or scare them,_" she thought as Steven and Harem ran inside, smiles on their faces.

"Caterina, Lilith, come on!" Seto shouted, waving over at the two. Caterina jumped off the swing and began heading towards her, while Lilith came to a slow stop and began walking quickly, trying to catch up to Caterina. Tea watched the two eagerly, wishing them telepathically to hurry, when she saw the police sirens extremely close by.

"_Which means…_"

Suddenly, a familiar, red car passed by, slowing down as the window went down. "Caterina, run over here now!" Tea screamed, not caring whether or not the other kids were scared at this point. Caterina looked back, gasped, and began running towards her, and Lilith did the same. But as Lilith began running, Caterina already making her way inside, Tea heard the sudden sound that penetrated through the tension only to create absolute dread. A gunshot.

Eyes as wide as saucers, Tea slammed the door shut and ran over to the window, gasping in surprise as she watched, almost in slow motion in seemed, though it probably happened in a few seconds, as Seto ran towards Lilith and quickly kneeled down to embrace her, his back towards the red car. Gunshots fired at the ground all outside the orphanage, and Tea ignored the other childrens' screams as she watched in horror Seto be shot at by the driver in the red car, the ground around him covered in bullets. A police car rammed into the back of the red car just in time, it seemed, and flipped the car over, ending the shooting. Policemen quickly surrounded the car, and Tea turned around to face all the children. "Don't come outside!" she exclaimed over the screaming, silencing the entire room. "Everything will be under control. Just don't leave this building – in fact, don't leave this room. Just stay here, and we'll be okay in no time."

Even though her tone hinted a sense of security, her heart was racing so fast that she was certain it would fly out of her chest. Turning back around, she ran outside, slammed the door behind her, and sprinted over to the two. Lilith slowly backed away in shock as Seto's arms fell by her side, his body falling over until he was lying on his back. "SETO!" Tea cried out, kneeling down next to him and pulling him up. Turning back to Lilith, she asked, "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah….I'm okay," she slowly whispered. "Is…Big Brother okay?"

Looking back at Seto, tears formed in her eyes as she felt blood from his back seep onto her hand. "He'll be fine," she whispered back, though she wasn't sure whether that was true or not. "Just go back inside with the other kids. You'll be okay."

Lilith numbly nodded and sprinted back towards the orphanage, and Tea could see the kids crowding the window, all looking outside at the scene. She returned her attention to Seto, whose eyes were slowly opening. "S-S-Seto," she stuttered. "Seto, you'll be okay."

"Is…Lilith safe?" he asked with a raspy voice.

"Yes, Seto, she's okay," Tea whispered back, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. "And you're going to be okay too. I-I'm going to call the hospital r-right now, and y-you'll be okay."

Another small smile formed on his face as his eyes slowly closed, his hand reaching up and grasping hers. "I'm sorry. I should have—"

"Seto, be quiet!" she whispered harshly. "You're bleeding…badly. Save your strength. Just hold on…" Seeing a policeman in the corner of her eye, she turned to see a middle-aged officer running towards her, phone in hand.

"Is this man alright?" he asked harshly, eyeing the two as he closed his phone.

"No; he was shot," Tea stated, letting the policeman hold onto him, kneeling on the opposite side of her. Blood was covering her hands, but she barely noticed it.

"How many times?" he asked, placing a hand around his neck.

"I'm not sure. T-They opened f-fire at us, and he p-protected one of the c-children w-who is now i-inside." The words were starting to sink in; the situation itself was now sinking in for Tea. Seto had been shot. He was bleeding. He looked unconscious. _He might die._

"An ambulance is coming by now," he stated, looking up at her. "Are you injured, ma'am?"

"No, I—"

"Tea!" a familiar voice shouted, and Tea merely stared at Seto as she heard footsteps rush up to her, her body becoming numb. "Oh my God…what the fuck happened?!"

"He…was protecting…Lilith, and…." She couldn't finish. She just couldn't. The tears came out in full force, and sobs racked her entire body. Feeling a pair of hands on her shoulders, she felt Jade's body shaking as well.

"I'll take care of the kids," she stated in a wavy voice. "You go to the hospital with him. Call me immediately once this is done with." Tea nodded her head and heard her as she walked away, her focus back on the limp form of her boyfriend.

"Was anyone else hurt?" the policeman asked as he scanned Seto.

"No. We're all fine." Just as she said this, a siren caught her attention, and she spun around to see an ambulance driving slowly around the car crash, which was now littered with other policeman and two more police cars.

"Ma'am, I'm going to ask you to come with us," he stated, lifting Seto up. Tea nearly puked; blood covered the ground where Seto had been lying. "We need to know exactly what happened."

"I…I understand," she choked out, following the policeman as he ran over to the ambulance. Jumping into the back, she watched as they strapped him onto the stretcher and began working. She sat down to get out of the way and merely grabbed onto Seto's limp hand, tears continuing their flow down her cheeks. She couldn't think; she couldn't speak; she couldn't even register that the ambulance had begun moving. All she could think about was the body now lying in front of her, lifeless and pale, that had been protecting a child not five minutes ago. A body that had cuddled up to her nights ago, who had held her warmly, who had protected her and taken care of her…a body that now showed no signs of life as the doctors placed a breathing mask on his face.


	48. C48 The Family Doctor

**Chapter 48 – The Family Doctor**

She stared blankly at the marble floor, never taking notice to the patients that walked in and out, leaving and greeting their families, until she was the only one left in the waiting room. The nurse had noticed her from the start and, after being told about the situation, did her best to calm her down. Tea was given some coffee to drink (which she barely took a sip of before it turned cold), a blanket to keep warm with, and the nurse even asked if there was anything she could turn on, such as the television or radio, to keep her mind occupied. Tea had simply shaken her head no, thanking the woman for her kindness, before returning her gaze back to the floor.

It seemed to her as if eternity had passed since Seto was taken in, and yet there was still no word on what was going on. For all she knew, Seto could be—

"_No!_" she thought, narrowing her eyes as tears, for what seemed like the millionth time, began to surface. "_He's NOT dead! He can't die! There's no way somebody like him can just die like that, protecting an innocent child from people we don't even know! He won't die! He's strong…too strong to just give up on life._"

Sitting her chair, she slowly glanced over to the doorway, noting how nobody had entered in quite some time, only to be surprised by the view of night outside. "_How long have I been here?_" she thought as she looked down at her watch. It was seven at night…she had been sitting in this chair, staring at the same tile floor, thinking the same exact thoughts for _three hours_. "_What's taking them so long?!_" she wondered, eyes wide in shock and realization. "_What's going on? Is he still in surgery? Is he okay? Is he just resting in some room, or is he…?_"

As she thought this rather depressing thought, she heard a nearby door open to see a familiar face. "Dr. Kelan!" she exclaimed, standing up and running up to him. "What are you doing here?"

The doctor blinked in surprise before letting a small smile cross his face. "I'm here taking care of patients," he answered. "It's my job, you know?"

Tea blushed at her question and shook her head. "Sorry…I just have a lot on my mind."

"Your boyfriend, I presume?" Tea's head shot up like a bullet.

"I-Is he okay?" she stuttered, feeling her body begin to shake in worry and anxiety.

"Do you want to see him?" Dr. Kelan asked, making Tea's heart leap out of her chest.

"YES!" she shouted, grinning widely. "Does this mean he's okay?"

"Well…he's not awake," the doctor warned, bringing Tea's jubilation to a halt. "But he will be fine. We managed to get all the bullets out of his body, but he lost a rather large amount of blood as you can imagine. We've ascertained that he's not in a coma, however it will take him a good while to recover from his injuries."

Even though the news sounded bad, to Tea it was a miracle. "_He's alive. That's all I needed to know. He's alive…and he'll be okay. Dr. Kelan wouldn't lie to me, would he?_"

"Come on, I'll take you in the back to see him," Dr. Kelan stated, smiling at her before heading back through the doorway he had just come out of. Tea trailed right behind him, noticing several doctors walk by as they took a right down a large hallway. "I take it you've been sitting in that waiting room since he first arrived here?"

"Yeah… The secretary out there was nice enough to offer me something to drink as well as a blanket, but I wasn't really thinking about my health at that point."

"I couldn't imagine you were. I'm just happy to know that you care about him this much. When I first met you, I didn't know how far along the relationship really was." Stopping in front of a large window, he pointed inside and stated, "There he is."

Tea turned and gasped at the sight of him. His entire torso was covered in bandages, yet there was no breathing mask on his face, and he looked more alive than he had when they first strapped him onto the stretcher. "S-So h-he'll be okay?" Tea asked once more, pressing her hands against the window.

"He will be fine," the doctor stated sternly. "All he has to do is heal. I was actually shocked, to be perfectly honest, at how well he reacted to the surgery. We had to carefully remove all the bullets out of his back, which is generally a difficult procedure, yet he never once went into a critical state." Smirking over at her, he jokingly said, "Maybe he had somebody to live for here…"

"Hey, he always had Mokuba," Tea countered, blushing at the doctor's words.

"True, true…"

A moment of silence lasted between the two, Tea staring at Seto and Dr. Kelan glancing between the two, when a sudden noise made both of them jump in surprise. Tea quickly took her cell phone out of her pocket and frowned at the caller ID. Answering it, she said, "This is Tea."

"TEA!" Mokuba shouted into the phone. "What the heck!? What happened!? Jade told me something big happened at the orphanage and that Seto was taken to the hospital and now I don't know if he's alright or not do you know if he's—"

"Mokuba, calm down," Tea interrupted, surprised that the boy hadn't run out of air during his outburst. "Seto is fine. I… I'll explain what happened to you later. I'll come over and visit once I'm done here."

"So… Seto's alright?"

"Yes. At least that's what Dr. Kelan stated."

"Dr. Kelan's there?!"

"Yeah. I'm standing right next to him. Do you want to talk to him?" The doctor's eyebrows raised as Tea handed the phone over to him. He quickly took it and placed it next to his ear.

"This is Dr. Kelan….. Oh, Mokuba. It's you… No, no. Your brother suffered some fatal injuries, but don't worry…. Yes, he'll be fine, I assure you….." Tea soon tuned out their conversation and noticed the doctor begin pacing. Figuring he was busy trying to calm down the younger Kaiba brother, she grasped the cold doorknob and slowly opened the door, walking into the room that the older Kaiba brother now rested in.

The air became extremely thick as she gradually made it to the side of the bed. She could hear his breathing, making her smile and sit down on the edge of the bed, before placing her hand on his, which rested in his lap. Grasping it tightly, she whispered, "You're going to be okay. Just…wake up soon, okay?" She didn't expect a reaction, but it was still slightly depressing when none came. Letting go of his hand, she reached up to caress his cheek, which was slightly cold. She brushed several strands of his hair out of his face only for them to fall back over his eyes. Chuckling, she thought aloud, "You're stubborn even when you're out cold."

"What are you doing in here?" Dr. Kelan suddenly asked jokingly, making Tea spin around to see him enter the room. "Nah, it's okay. I figured you would want in here eventually. I just wanted to see how long it took you to ask."

"Sorry," she whispered, returning her attention to Seto.

"Don't be. It's perfectly natural that you want to see him, especially after something as tragic as this. Here…" Reaching out, Tea took the phone from his hand and placed it back in her pocket. "That boy was obviously worried sick about his brother. I'm glad I could clear up the situation with him, even though I don't know what happened…and if you could, would you explain to me?"

"Explain what?" Tea asked.

"Why my favorite patient came in with four bullets in his back."

"Four?!"

"Yes; there were four bullets lodged in his back." Tea's heart sank; she thought he was only shot once. Not that it made it any better, but still… "Well? What happened?"

Noticing the change of tone in the doctor's voice, Tea cleared her throat and said, "We… Jade called and informed us that a car chase was occurring and that it was heading in the direction of the orphanage after she left to get something to eat. We've been moving and packing boxes over the past couple of days, and today was supposed to basically be our last day before the kids move to the new orphanage. Both Seto and I went outside to get the kids back in. The kids were just walking back, and we didn't push them along since we didn't want to make them scared of the situation, when the same car that caused his last injury slowly came by. Seto…ran in front of Lilith and protected her as the driver began shooting at the orphanage." She noticed the doctor's eyes widen considerably at this. "Lilith was fine, but he… Seto suffered for her."

Letting out a long sigh, Dr. Kelan slowly walked over to the bedside and placed a hand on his Seto's shoulder. "I see…" he whispered. "Thank you for telling me. That clears up an awful lot."

"At least he'll be alright. That's all I care about."

"Now you two can relate." Tea blinked and glanced up at the doctor. "You both have seen what bullets can do."

Tea let out a long sigh before shaking her head. "Seto will survive…hopefully."

"He will," Dr. Kelan interrupted. "I'll make sure of it."

"Yeah, but… I mean, it's not the same. I know Seto is in good hands. But…Sophie…"

"Did he ever tell you what happened to Sophie?" Instead of answering, Tea simply nodded her head. "I guess it isn't the same, but still… It won't be easy to forget."

"Nothing this tragic ever is. We just have to live with it."

Dr. Kelan chuckled and looked over at her. "You really are nothing like Seto. You understand that you have to keep pushing forward, keep moving on in life, no matter what hardships befall you. Seto… It took an awful lot for him to learn that lesson. But I can't blame him. With all the hardships he's had, it would be difficult to keep getting up and pressing on. But who knows? Maybe you'll be able to teach him that lesson." Tea smiled before accidentally letting a yawn escape through her lips. "Tired?"

"Just a little, even though it's not that late."

"You should probably get some rest. I'm sure sitting in that waiting room for three hours didn't do much for you."

"Yeah… I guess. Though I do have one question for you." The doctor's eyebrow quirked at this, making her chuckle. "When did you start considering Seto your 'favorite' patient?"

Dr. Kelan laughed and shook his head. "Oh, it's a long story… The main thing was that I knew what Gozaburo did to him, and I helped him out through it. I knew what would happen if I revealed this fact, so it was our little secret, I guess you could call it. As I said before, I have been the Kaiba family's doctor for twenty years now. I knew Gozaburo wasn't the friendliest man, and when Seto and Mokuba showed up, I became rather curious. It was only later that I found out the man had been beaten by a child at a game of chess, his forte in life, and I knew that Seto was a remarkably bright kid. He and I became good friends; I tended to his wounds every time Gozaburo harmed him, and in return, he promised to keep pushing on. I don't mean to sound conceited, but Seto told me after the whole episode with Sophie that he looked up to me as a father rather than Gozaburo, and that if it hadn't been for me, he probably wouldn't have gone on with the torture he had to endure any longer."

"Wow…"

"He's a good kid," Dr. Kelan concluded. "And I admit that at times I think of him as my own child, since I basically took care of him like a father would." Tea slowly nodded in understanding before yawning once again. "What, did I bore you?" he asked jokingly.

"No, no!" she exclaimed, waving her hands back and forth. "I'm just really exhausted, is all. But thank you for telling me that. I think I should head home now anyway. I need to call Jade up and inform her on Seto's condition."

"Tell her he'll be fine," Dr. Kelan instructed. "And if you could, visit Mokuba before heading home and calm him down. I'm sure he's still distraught over Seto."

"No problem." Standing up, Tea shook the doctor's hand and smiled. "Thank you for taking care of him once again."

"It's my job, Tea," he replied. "And it is no trouble whatsoever."

Letting go of his hand, Tea nodded once more before walking out of the room, down the hallway, and into the waiting room before pulling her phone out. "_Alright. First I'll call Jade, and then I'll head home and calm down Mokuba. Geez…and I thought I was already exhausted…_" Smirking, she thought, "_It's better delivering good news than bad news…so I can't complain._"


	49. C49 Tired of Pretending

**Chapter 49 – Tired of Pretending**

Nothing had turned out the way it had been planned. The move was a solemn, quiet one, with little cheering and happiness to go around. The kids quietly moved into their new orphanage with a sense of grief, helping to unpack the boxes only when asked to from Jade or Tea. And even though the two should have tried to make the move a bit more cheerful, they themselves weren't feeling up to the task. It was too much to ask for, especially with the stress of now unpacking everything.

The doctor's words may have been a bit too unrealistic, Tea now realized, for it had been four days since she first visited Seto, and he was still in the same condition as he was that night. As far as she knew, he was just lying in bed, unconscious and shut off from the rest of the world. To say that her and Jade were worried would be an understatement; Jade had broken down the night of the incident, scared over Seto's condition. Mokuba was taking the news as best he could, but he had skipped two days of school to sit in the hospital room, never leaving his brother's side until Dr. Kelan forced him to go home.

Things on the whole were depressing. The kids, rather than swimming happily in their new pool or playing their new games, sat in a circle and merely played cards, one or two of them eyeing the phone every so often, awaiting the call from the doctor that would or would not come. The orders had been simple: call the orphanage if he's dead. No news was good news at the orphanage. The kids didn't know this; they were simply told to keep an ear out for the phone to ring. But Tea and Jade knew damn well that if that phone rang, the kids would be able to sense the grief just as well as anybody would.

It was sad, now that Tea thought about it, as she watched the kids play their game in the silence of the large living room, designed by the one now in a hospital bed. This move was supposed to be a turning point in their lives, a chance for them to be happy once again and gain the opportunities they so craved. Now they merely sat, huddled together, waiting for a call that meant the absolute worst. Looking at them, she was forced to hold her tears back, knowing that they felt just as crushed as she did. Jade wasn't in the room; she had gone upstairs to unpack the kids' stuff. At first, the plan had been to have the kids unpack their own possessions, giving them a first-hand taste of the new responsibilities they would be getting. Instead, Jade took on that role, knowing that unpacking would be the only thing keeping her mind off of Seto.

What was worse was the reaction to the whole incident. The two criminals had been caught at the crime scene, their faces plastered on every television screen in the city. The two that shot the infamous Seto Kaiba, whom everyone now knew was lying in a hospital bed, were made into celebrities overnight. Nobody knew where he had been shot, as the police did an excellent job of protecting those involved (at Jade's command, of course), but the first two days had been absolutely brutal. The front of the hospital had been littered with television crews until the manager of the place came out and excused them all, stating that if they didn't leave it would hinder the services available and cause problems with patients. Everyone wanted to know why and how the CEO of KaibaCorp got shot, reminding Jade, Tea, and all the children that he was still celebrity eye-candy to the rest of the world.

Glancing down at the children, Tea slowly looked around to see Lilith sitting next to Caterina, the latter holding the former's hand, as Lilith mutely watched the card game unfolding. Tea couldn't feel worse for her, as her heart ached every time she looked at the girl. She seemed to have been affected the most by the shooting, and it was perfectly understandable why. Not one word had been spoken by her since the incident, and Jade had made sure to keep a closer eye on her, making sure the kids were especially nice to her and that she ate and slept normally. Tea knew the girl felt guilty for the incident but had been too busy helping Jade unpack and calming Mokuba down (as she now went home to the Kaiba mansion per Mokuba's request) that she had been unable to talk to the girl about it.

"_Maybe I should talk to her now_," she thought miserably, leaning back into the couch. "_I know it's a bad subject, but I really don't want her feeling like it's her fault. She seems so distraught over it, and I can't blame her. She was right there when it happened…when he was shot…_"

Tea shivered before shaking her head. "_No, I have to think positive. Dr. Kelan said he wouldn't let Seto die, and I trust him with Seto's life. It's just…the wounds were fatal. Did I honestly think he would just wake up the next day with a smile on his face and act as though nothing happened? No… That's just the façade he puts on for the rest of the world to buy into. I've seen that with the car chase we were involved in. Did I… Did I buy into it too?_"

"Please don't cry, Miss Tea," a small voice stated, making Tea look down to see Lilith staring up at her. She blinked in surprise as she touched the side of her cheek only to feel a tear drop falling. Wiping it away, she smiled down at the girl and patted the seat next to her.

"I'm okay, don't worry," she assured the girl, watching as she crawled up onto the couch and leaned against Tea. "I just feel sad that you guys couldn't enjoy moving into this place like we wanted you to."

It wasn't honest, and Tea could tell that Lilith didn't buy it, for she looked up at Tea and asked, "Are you sure Big Brother will be okay?"

It took all her will power to hold back the tears as she smiled sadly down at the girl. "Yes, he's in very good hands at the hospital. I know he'll be fine." Feeling Lilith begin to shiver, she frowned and asked, "Are you cold?"

"N-No… I just…" Lilith grasped Tea tightly around the waist and began to sob into her shirt, and Tea bit her lower lip as she patted the girl on the back, hoping to calm her down. Several of the kids looked over to see what was happening, stood up, and walked over to calm her down as well, whispering things like 'don't worry, he'll be fine' and 'I'm sure he'll be back soon.' Yet all of them held the same amount of fear in their voices. Nobody, not even Tea, knew whether that statement held any truth in it or not.

"It's all my fault," she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared up at Tea. "If I had run inside like everyone else, Big Brother wouldn't be dying right now. He wouldn't be—"

"Lilith, please," Tea begged, stopping her rant. "He isn't dying. He won't die, I promise you that. Don't think of him as dying. We can't think like that about him. We need to think positive about him. And it's not your fault, Lilith. You did what you felt was right, and that's all we can ask of you."

"B-But…if I hadn't slowed down…"

"What's the matter?" a sudden voice asked, making everyone turn around to see Jade walking into the living room. She glanced down at Lilith and frowned, realization hitting her. "Is she alright?" she whispered.

"She blames herself for the shooting," Tea explained, wrapping her arms tighter around the girl. "What she needs to realize," she added somewhat playfully, hoping to sound hopeful and a bit optimistic, "is that she isn't the one that shot Seto. No, Seto defended her because he cared about her, and she isn't to blame in this situation."

The kids all nodded in agreement, most likely hoping to cheer themselves up as well as Lilith, who was slowly nodding her head. "I-I… When Seto gets better, can I go see him?"

"Yeah, can we go visit him?" Brethor asked, pleading Jade with his eyes more than his voice, which was barely above a whisper. Jade smiled and nodded her head, making all the kids smile for the first time in four days.

"In fact, why don't you kids do something special for him?" she stated, making them all look up at her in confusion. "I don't know. Maybe you can make him a giant card or send him a present or something."

"Yeah, let's make him a card!" Harem exclaimed. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, including Lilith, who had let go of Tea but still leaned against her.

"I'll go and get the supplies for you kids," Jade stated, turning around and heading towards the study. "I want all of you to gather in the dining room for this; we have a big enough mess as it is unpacking everything." The kids soon ran towards the dining room, Caterina grasping Lilith's hand.

"Come on, Lilith. We should help out."

Lilith slowly looked from Caterina to Tea, and Tea smiled and nodded her head. "Go on, it's alright." Lilith then slid off the couch and followed behind her friend into the dining room, where the kids were getting situated. Feeling another tear fall, Tea quickly wiped it away when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, dear," Jade whispered as she pursed her lips together. "You can head home if you want to. It's starting to get late, and I'm sure Mokuba's in no better condition than we are. Maybe we can take the kids over to visit tomorrow. How does that sound?"

It was all Tea could do to not break down right then and there. A fifth day of Seto lying cold in that bed…could she handle seeing her boyfriend like that? "That sounds good," was all she said before standing up and walking over to the coat rack next to the doorway, putting her black coat on and waving good-bye to the kids. "Call me if you need me," she told Jade before shutting the door behind her and walking towards her car.

Placing the key in the ignition, Tea leaned forward and burst into tears. "_Those kids are so miserable, Mokuba is miserable, Jade is miserable…and I'm miserable,_" she thought as she leaned back into the seat, wiping the tears from her eyes. "_Seto, please. You have to wake up soon. I don't know how much longer we can go on like this. Just…please…_"

Tea quickly shook her head and backed out of the orphanage, turning her attention to the road as she began driving to the Kaiba mansion. "_I wonder if Mokuba's in bed yet…_" she thought, glancing down at the digital clock that read 8:45. "_He's been going to bed early lately…most likely because he can't help but worry about Seto. He's almost been as bad as Lilith, although he doesn't blame himself for the incident. Poor Lilith… I wish I could comfort her somehow, but I can't. How am I supposed to be a good mother to her if I can't even comfort her?!_" A new set of tears began to fall, but Tea made no move to wipe them away.

"_I'm tired. That's just it. I'm sick and tired of pretending to be positive. Lilith was right. Seto is dying in a fucking hospital, and here I am lying to these kids about his condition. But what am I supposed to do? If I tell them the truth, they'll be even more miserable, and that…that just isn't fair to them. I can't keep this up, though. I can't keep going on like this. I'm already starting to break down, and I can tell Lilith, Jade, Mokuba, and the kids are reaching their limits as well. We can't keep doing this. We can't—_"

A sudden noise made Tea jump, and she slowly stopped at the red light before taking her cell phone out. Not recognizing the number, she decided to let it go when she accidentally dropped it on the floor of the car. "Shit," she mumbled, picking it up and hearing a voice on the other end.

"Tea? Miss Gardner?" Tea gasped in recognition and quickly held the phone up to her ear.

"Dr. Kelan?!" she exclaimed, feeling as though she hadn't heard his voice in ages.

"Hello, Miss Gardner. Am I interrupting anything right now?"

"No, not at all. I-Is everything all right?"

"Yes, things are fine here," he stated, and Tea frowned at the tone of his voice. It sounded very blasé and nonchalant, something that she wouldn't expect from a respected doctor.

"Is there something wrong then?" she asked, wondering why the doctor would call her up. "Has his condition improved or…"

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You see… I was wondering if you could come to the hospital. There's something we need you to see."

Tea felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. _He's dead_ was her first thought as her hands began to shake. "W-Why? W-What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Miss Gardner," he answered, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "We just need you to come in and check on something very quickly. I promise you it won't take long, but it's imperative that you come."

"_What the hell is going on?_" Tea thought as she looked at her phone in confusion before placing it back to her ear. Turning her turn signal on, she quickly made a right and said, "Okay, I'm heading over now."

"Thank you, Miss Gardner. I will see you soon." The line went dead, and Tea slowly closed her phone and put it back in her pocket.

"_If there's nothing wrong…what does he want from me? Does he want to know more about what happened? But it's been four days since he was shot! What is going on?_" Sighing, Tea made another turn and thought, "_Guess I'll find out soon enough._"


	50. C50 First Visitor

**Chapter 50 – First Visitor**

"I'm sorry to call you on such short notice," Dr. Kelan apologized as he greeted Tea in the same lobby she had waited in when this whole incident began. "It kind of occurred last minute, what happened, but I felt it was important enough to call you on."

"Is Seto doing okay?" she asked as she walked up to the doctor. Scanning his facial expression, she was surprised to see a smile on his face.

"Oh yes, he's doing much better than before," he answered as he turned around and began walking towards the back of the lobby and through the door leading towards the rooms. "His stats would rise or fall a bit and then stabilize on their own during these past four days, but I didn't want to startle you since they seemed to almost immediately fix themselves. I don't know whether I should be happy or not that his body feels secure after a procedure such as this one."

Tea nodded her head in understanding as the two stopped in front of the window looking into Seto's room. She glanced over to see his body still lying in bed, bandages still wrapped around his torso. The window on the opposite side of the room allowed some of the moonlight to shine through, illuminating the bed her boyfriend lay in. "Well, I need to get something quickly," the doctor stated, smiling over at her. "I'll give you some time to see him. I'm sure you've been worried these past four days."

Tea chuckled sadly and nodded her head once more. "Yeah… We've all been pushed to our limits."

"I take it Mokuba isn't doing any better than he was the first night of this ordeal?"

"He's actually doing better than all of us. I've been just exhausted from it all, and Jade…well…Jade basically broke down the night of the whole thing. I think she's about to have another breakdown soon."

"Why did she break down?" Dr. Kelan asked curiously, a frown slowly forming on his face.

"Because Seto built her this new orphanage so that we could move the kids away from the mob activity developing in that area."

"Yes…he said something about that. Oh, I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Well, Jade wanted it to be a big occasion for the kids, but when he was hospitalized… I guess she realized he wouldn't be joining us in the moving process, and that tore her apart. After all, she was more than thankful for everything he had done for her, and the fact that she couldn't show her appreciation to him really hurt her."

"Jade has a heart of gold for those kids, as does Seto," the doctor observed. "And I'm glad to know that they care for each other just as much as they care for those children. It's like their own, dysfunctional, little family." Sighing, he shook his head and said, "Well, I'll let you visit him for awhile. Take your time." And with that, he spun around and walked down the hallway before making a right down another hallway and going out of sight.

Tea slowly turned around and grasped the cold doorknob, twisting it and opening the door up. It was surprisingly warm in the room, not what she had expected. Walking towards the bed, she pursed her lips together as she tried to form a smile, but when none came, she sighed in defeat and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked just as alive as he had the first night she visited him, which to her meant little, if any, progress.

"H-Hey Seto," she whispered, grasping his hand that was limp on his stomach. She went to say something else, anything else, but nothing would come. She hung her head as her hand began to shake, wondering why she couldn't say anything to comfort herself, when she gasped in shock at the feeling of motion. Slowly looking up, she noticed Seto's hand beneath hers moving. "S-Seto?" Her heart stopped as she glanced up.

"Surprise," he whispered, a small smile on his face as his eyes opened to reveal their blue beauty. She couldn't move; she couldn't breath. But it wasn't like the time she was in the ambulance. No, this was altogether new.

"Se…Seto?" she whispered once more, hoping against hope that what she was seeing wasn't an illusion, but the real thing. As she said this, she felt Seto's hand gently grasp hers, his fingers intertwining between hers.

"Miss me?" he asked, smirking at her reaction. Tea lost all train of thought as she flung her arms forward, wrapping them around her boyfriend, and cried onto his chest. "I take that as a yes?"

"Se-Seto!" she exclaimed, hearing his heartbeat as she cuddled up as close to him as possible in a hospital bed. "OhmygodSeto…ohmygod… You're okay. You're…okay!"

"I should hope so," he replied as he moved a strand of hair out of her face. She smiled widely up at him, tears still falling, making him chuckle. "What? Did you wish I was dead so you could take my money and run?"

"NO!" she shouted, frowning at the insinuation and tightening her grip around him. "No, I could never do that Seto! I just…missed you so much. And you're okay…you're really okay."

"I know you wouldn't do that to me," he said softly, wrapping his arms around to return the embrace. "I was just seeing what you would say."

"That's not nice," she scolded, wiping her tears away and smiling once more. "I guess I should be happy you haven't changed."

Kissing her forehead, he pulled her against his chest, emitting a soft groan in the process, before whispering, "I missed you too."

"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking up at him with a concerned expression.

"My back hurts, naturally," he answered. "But other than that I'm feeling well."

Nodding in understanding, she closed her eyes and said, "Don't you ever do that again to us. We were so worried… Jade had a nervous breakdown that night over you."

"How many days has it been?" he asked, his voice hinting a bit of worry.

"Four."

Sighing, he hesitantly asked, "Did…you move into the orphanage?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Do the kids like it?"

"We aren't sure."

At this, she felt Seto push her off her chest and hold her so that she was facing him. She could see worry and anger in his eyes, upsetting her. "What do you mean, you aren't sure?"

"Seto… We've all been so worried about your condition that we haven't really thought about it. Jade took on all the unpacking, as she felt it was the only way to get her mind off the situation. The kids know what happened; Lilith was right there. She's hurt beyond belief, and all the kids are just trying to get by without worrying about you. We haven't thought about the move, to be perfectly honest. It felt as though we were just doing it…to do it. It was very solemn and...depressing." Frowning, she reached up to touch one of his hands holding onto her arm and said, "We just wished you were there with us."

She watched as his eyes changed from worried to hurt, angry to saddened, as he released his grip on her and let his hands fall by his side. "I'm sorry," he whispered, closing his eyes and hanging his head. "I just…couldn't let her get hurt like that."

Tea smiled and embraced him once more, taking his hand with hers and holding it up against her. "I know, and we're so appreciative of what you've done. Now that we moved those kids, there won't be anything like this again. I'm just so happy that you're okay…that's all I care about right now."

Feeling him pull her close once more, she peeked up to see his eyes still closed but a smile on his face. "I'm happy to see you again too…"

"And did I say you could cuddle with my patients?" a mocking voice questioned, making both Seto and Tea blink and quickly look towards the door. Dr. Kelan smiled widely at the two as he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. "Sorry, I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Tea blushed as Seto released his grip on her and backed up against the bed, groaning once more. "See, you shouldn't be cuddling anyway. Even though he's awake, his back is still injured somewhat."

"S-Sorry," Tea said as she moved to the edge of the bed.

"Nah, it's alright. Visitors who see their friends wake up often have similar reactions. It's completely fine." Tea watched as the doctor walked around to the other side of the bed and smirked down at Seto. "You know how much persuasion it took me to convince the other doctors to let a visitor in at this hour?"

"This was your idea?!" Tea exclaimed, staring in shock at her boyfriend, who merely smirked back at the doctor.

"He wanted you to be the first one to see him," Dr. Kelan explained. "He woke up several hours ago, but we took a few tests and forced him to eat something first."

"Why didn't you call me?!"

"I…didn't want you to come in while they were testing me," Seto answered, cutting the doctor off. "I didn't know how you would react to them taking blood from me and such, so I figured it would be best to wait until the doctors had their way with me."

"Oh, Seto…the way you think about doctors will never change, will it?" Dr. Kelan asked playfully in response to his comment.

"I don't understand why you need to take a blood test for my back," Seto countered, glaring slightly at the doctor.

"It's all for general purposes, Seto," Dr. Kelan replied. "But it's all over, and we got a hold of your girl, so I think you should be thankful for that."

"I guess…"

"How long will he need to stay here, Dr. Kelan?" Tea asked, hoping to change the subject. She blushed a little as she felt Seto grab onto her hand once more, gently brushing her fingers and sending tingles through her hand and up her arm.

"Another day or two," the doctor answered. "Maybe three if his back doesn't improve by then. We hope to have him walking around tomorrow to see whether or not there's more damage. If there isn't, he may be able to go tomorrow night…but that's only if he's in peak condition."

"Okay." Standing up, she smiled down at Seto and said, "I should probably let you sleep now."

"I've been sleeping for four days, Tea," he remarked.

"Yes, but you need to get some more rest," Dr. Kelan agreed as he walked back towards the door. "Besides, as I said before, it took a lot of persuasion to allow Miss Gardner to visit, and I don't want to push that with the other doctors by letting her stay much longer."

Seto rolled his eyes as he let go of her hand but smiled up at her. "Tell Jade and the others that I'm fine," he stated.

"We were thinking of bringing the kids in to visit tomorrow," Tea replied. "Would that be alright, Dr. Kelan?"

"Probably not," he answered, frowning and biting his lower lip. "We don't generally let children in the back here, especially if we're going to be testing him and having him walk around. Jade may come, but I wouldn't let the kids in the back here."

"Okay. Maybe I can babysit while Jade visits."

"Oh…and Tea." She turned to look back at Seto, who frowned before letting out a sigh. "Call Mokuba up first thing tomorrow morning. I don't want him worrying anymore than I'm sure he already has."

Tea nodded in understanding before kissing his cheek, noticing a red blush form. "You sleep for now, alright? I'll handle things back at home." He smiled as his eyes closed, and she walked out of the room and watched as Dr. Kelan shut the door behind him. "Oh, was there something you wanted to ask me about?" she suddenly asked, surprised she had forgotten the whole reason for coming.

Dr. Kelan laughed and shook his head. "No, that was the only way I could get you to come. I convinced the other nurses that I had to ask you questions on his condition so that I could let you in, and I had to act out the part. I knew Seto was awake, and he told me when he woke up that he wanted to see you first. He said he figured you would be the most worried, Mokuba falling right behind."

Tea chuckled and shook her head. "That was a cruel joke," she replied as she began walking down the hallway.

"Good evening, Miss Gardner," he called out to her.

"Good evening, Dr. Kelan." Walking out of the main lobby and towards her car, she took her phone out of her pocket as she sat in the driver seat and dialed Jade's number. "_I know it's late, but she's just as worried as I am…well, as worried as I was,_" she thought as she started the car up. "_I'll call her up and then wake Mokuba up when I get home. They'll be so happy…_" And, as Tea heard the line go through, she knew her heart would rejoice every time she explained to them that he was okay.


	51. C51 Return Dance

**Chapter 51 – Return Dance**

Tea threw the last of the streamers into the nearby trash can and let out a content sigh. She checked the living room one more time to make sure everything was cleaned up and chuckled at the sight of the younger Kaiba brother dead asleep on the couch. She couldn't blame the kid, though; it was already a quarter after midnight. "_He was basically running around all day, so it's no surprised that he's exhausted_," she thought as she turned the lights out and headed upstairs towards her bedroom. "_It's really late, and he was up at six in the morning planning this whole event_."

It was Seto's first day back home from the hospital, and rather than letting it be a boring, returning-home day, Tea and Mokuba decided to throw him a little party just for the three of them. They knew he was eager to return to the orphanage and see the kids, but both figured it would be best until he was settled back in at home. And what better way to settle down than to have a little party? She remembered the look on his face as he had walked through the door, the mixture of shock and appreciation. The three ended up playing video games for several hours, eating a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing that Tea had baked just this morning. It was their way of celebrating his return, and to Tea it reminded her of what a family would do, making her heart skip a beat.

But even though the festivities were now over, Tea was still as awake as ever. "_I wasn't up at six in the morning, so I'm wide awake from the whole party,_" she thought as she entered her bedroom. "_There is no way I'll be able to go to sleep now. But the last thing I want to do is annoy Seto, and Mokuba is asleep, meaning it's up to me to entertain myself Hmm…_" Deciding on what to do rather quickly, she took out her new dancing attire which she had bought with Mai and began changing. It was a simple, light blue, short-sleeve dress that went down to right above her knees, showing off her long legs. She never liked wearing orthodox dancing clothes; she preferred dressing up when dancing. When she spotted the dress during her shopping spree with Mai, she knew it was perfect for dancing in. Once she was completely changed, she grabbed her CD player and her favorite CD before opening the door leading outside onto the balcony.

There was a light breeze blowing, but on the whole it was very comfortable outside. Plugging her CD player into a nearby outlet next to the doorway, she closed the door just enough so that the cord wasn't cut in two and placed the CD in the player. "_Maybe if I dance for awhile, I'll make myself tired,_" she thought as she pressed the play button. She then walked towards the center of the balcony and waited for the music to start. "_Besides, I haven't danced on my own in quite some time, and I don't want to bother Seto, especially if he's doing work. Only he would go back to business on his first day back…but that's Seto for you._" Sighing once more, she listened as the music finally started, letting her body begin spinning to the lyrics and melody.

_~Whenever sang my songs,_

_On this stage, on my own._

_Whenever said my words,_

_Wishing they would be heard._

_I saw you smiling at me,_

_Was it real, or just my fantasy?_

_You'd always be there in the corner,_

_Of this tiny, little bar…~_

She had only just begun her dancing when she was startled by a hand grasping onto her shoulder. Stopping and blinking in surprise, she quickly turned around to see a pair of blue eyes staring into her own. "Having fun?" he jokingly asked, making her smirk and nod her head.

"I was until you interrupted me," she remarked, placing her free hand on her hip.

"Now, for some reason, I don't quite believe that," he countered, replacing the smile that was on his face with his trademark smirk.

"And why would you not believe me?" she asked, feigning innocence. She blushed slightly as it dawned on her that, unless she was imagining things, the two were getting closer.

Instead of countering her remark a second time, he chose instead to gently kiss her cheek, causing the slight pink to turn into a dark red blush. "Aw, am I embarrassing you now?" he asked as he gently cupped her cheek with his other hand.

"N-No. I just wasn't expecting it."

_~My last night here for you._

_Same old songs, just once more._

_My last night here with you?_

_Maybe yes, maybe no._

_I kind of liked it your way,_

_How you shyly placed your eyes on me._

_And did you ever know_

_That I had mine on you?~_

"So might I ask what you are doing out here anyway?" he asked as he let go of her.

"I figured it was nice enough for me to dance for a bit," she answered.

"Even though it's 12:20 in the morning?"

"Well, after all that partying, I'm now wide awake." He chuckled at her comment and shook his head.

"We only played video games, you know? Don't tell me you're worse than Mokuba is when it comes to sugar; you only ate two or three slices of that cake you made."

"No, I'm not that bad. I was just happy to see you, is all."

His smirk slowly turned into a smile, and he closed the gap between them as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Thank you…for throwing me that little party," he whispered as he stared deep into her eyes, letting her see past the ice barrier he had spent years building. "Even though it was just the three of us, it meant a lot to me. So…thanks."

~_Darling, so there you are_

_With that look on your face._

_As if you're never hurt,_

_As if you're never down._

_Shall I be the one for you_

_Who pinches you softly, but sure?_

_If frown is shown, then, _

_I will know that you are no dreamer.~_

Tea chuckled and nodded her head. "You should really be thanking Mokuba, to be honest. He's the one that spent all day getting the thing organized. I just helped with decorating and baking."

He chuckled once more and muttered, "I'll never understand where that kid gets his energy."

"Oh, I think you do, Seto," she remarked, making him blink in surprise. "You have the same level of energy that he does; you focus it more on your company and the orphanage. He just bounces around all the time."

Smiling down at her, the two just stared at each other in appreciation and care before he asked, "So…did I interrupt your dancing or—"

"Actually, you just agreed to dance with me," she interrupted, smirking devilishly as she quickly grabbed his hand and placed it on her hip, holding his other hand in hers. He went to object but decided against it, for he glanced down at her hand that was grabbing onto his shoulder before nodding in agreement. The two began dancing around the balcony, the music enveloping the world around them. All was content and peaceful around them, the past few days falling by the wayside as this moment became the most important thing in both their lives.

~_So let me come to you,_

_Close as I want to be._

_Close enough for me_

_To feel your heart beating fast._

_And stay there as I whisper,_

_How I loved your peaceful eyes on me._

_Did you ever know_

_That I had mine on you?~_

"So what did you and Mokuba do while I was in the hospital?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"Waited for you to wake up," she answered, smiling up at him. "We helped Jade move into the new orphanage, but it wasn't as pleasant of an experience as we all thought it would be as you could probably imagine."

"I want to go over and visit those kids tomorrow," he stated as the two quickly spun in a circle, making Tea giggle. "I'm sure they've been worrying about me just as much as you all have."

"Lilith will be really happy to see you. She was so upset over what happened, and even though the kids are trying their best to cheer her up, they're as worried about you as she is. I think the whole episode was overwhelming to her…"

"You can't blame her, though. I mean, someone was shot in front of her. Look how fucked up I turned out to be over that." Tea frowned and stopped dancing to the beat, making Seto stop with her. "What?"

"You…Seto…"

_~Darling, so share with me_

_Your love if you had enough._

_The tears if you're holding back,_

_Or pain if that's what it is._

_How can I let you know_

_I'm more than the dress and the voice?_

_Just reach me out then_

_You will know that you are not dreaming.~_

"You can't say that I wasn't messed up over that situation, Tea. Even if it sounds blunt, it's true."

"Yeah, but… I don't like hearing you say things like that about yourself."

Smiling in understanding, Seto leaned down and gently kissed her lips before staring deeply into her eyes once more. "And that's all I could ask for, Tea," he whispered. "You don't know how much I missed you while I was out cold in that hospital. I kept thinking about you…it was so lonely in the darkness. Even though I kept thinking about how screwed up I was, all the horrible things I did in my life…I…kept coming back to you." Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer against him until her head was against his chest and whispered, "I love you so much, Tea."

"I love you, too, Seto," she said, taking in her boyfriend's words. "And that's why I don't like it when you talk down on yourself. You have done so much for those kids, you earned the right to a multi-billion dollar corporation, you have become a parent for your little brother Mokuba…" Smiling, she closed her eyes and whispered, "And you mean the world to me."

The couple stood still, letting the music continue and simply enjoying their embrace. Tea could hear Seto's heart beating slightly faster than normal and tried not to chuckle. She was sure that he wasn't used to intimate situations such as this, but he made no move to break the embrace either. In fact, she felt him pulling her slightly closer, his left hand coming up to play with her hair. She frowned, however, when she heard him begin laughing.

"What's funny?" she asked, pulling away to look up at him.

"I don't think I honestly ever felt like this before," he remarked, still trying to hold his laughter back. "I mean, sure, I loved Sophie to death, but I was happy during that part of my life. When Gozaburo came into my life, I thought I would never feel content living the way I did. It was all so monotonous, so grey… Everything was just being done because it had to be done. I wasn't living; I was only alive. And now…" Chuckling, he shook his head and said, "I just feel…happy to be standing here with you."

Tea smirked and said, "Well I'm sure you didn't ever expect yourself to be the romantic type."

"No, definitely not."

Tea slowly tip-toed her way back into Seto's embrace before asking, "So…do you like this feeling?"

"I…I don't know."

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"Are you sad or angry about feeling this way?"

"No."

She smiled and whispered, "It's amazing what certain situations do to people, Seto. Maybe you just realize now that life could be over at any second?"

"I knew that for the longest time; I was just counting on it to happen eventually."

"What do you think about it now?"

Feeling his finger lift her chin up, she saw him smiling down at her, his eyes shining brightly, the dullness almost completely obliterated. "I don't want to think about it. I just want to think about right now…this moment…being here…" Gently brushing his lips against hers, he whispered "…with you…" before kissing her lips once more.

_~Darling, so there you are_

_With that look on your face._

_As if you're never hurt,_

_As if you're never down._

_Shall I be the one for you_

_Who pinches you softly, but sure?_

_If frown is shown, then,_

_I will know that you are no dreamer.~_

Tea slowly wrapped her arms around his neck as she let him continue to kiss her passionately, moaning when he pulled her closer to him. "Se…Seto…" she panted, beginning to her feel her legs give out from under her. He slowly backed away, making her smirk mischievously. "If you're going to make out with me, we should probably not be outside where people might see."

Watching as a smirk slowly formed on his face, he quickly picked her up, making her squeak in surprise, before saying, "Then maybe we should take this inside…?"

"Perhaps…" He began kissing her once more, making her eyes close on their own, and she felt him begin walking presumably back inside. She didn't even care if the music was still playing or not. In fact, from what she heard, it already ended. Once she felt her back hit the bed, Seto's tongue already exploring the inside of her mouth, all thoughts except those on Seto flew out the window and into the night sky.

* * *

Phew! I'm sorry this took so long to write; I didn't want it to be too cliché or romantic or what-not, but I suppose it was begging to be written that way. This isn't the end, to be sure. I have one more chapter in store for this story. The song used for this chapter was _Eyes on Me_by Faye Wong, and many of you may recognize it from Final Fantasy VIII.


End file.
